How do you identify a Band-bellied Owl?

The band-bellied owl is fairly large, ranging from 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Band-bellied Owl?

The Band-bellied Owl is a large sized bird weighing about 696 g.

Where can you see a Band-bellied Owl?

The Band-bellied Owl occurs in 4 countries, including Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

What does a Band-bellied Owl sound like?

You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Band-bellied Owl on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Band-bellied Owl?

The Band-bellied Owl is most easily confused with the Tawny-browed Owl and the Spectacled Owl.

Is the Band-bellied Owl endangered?

The Band-bellied Owl is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Band-bellied Owl

Pulsatrix melanota

Owls · Strigiformes · Rare

The Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota) is a rare owl found in 4 countries, weighing about 696 g. The band-bellied owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Least ConcernRareEats vertebratesforestcavity nest696 g

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 1 — Photo: (c) Larry Kay, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 2 — Photo: Emma Oxford · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 3 — Photo: David F. Belmonte · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 4 — Photo: Rafaella Cevallos Larrea · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 5 — Photo: Rafaella Cevallos Larrea · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 6 — Photo: Sebastian Doak · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 7 — Photo: Sebastian Doak · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 8 — Photo: Sebastian Doak · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 9 — Photo: Sebastian Doak · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota), photo 10 — Photo: David F. Belmonte · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Band-bellied Owl

The band-bellied owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The band-bellied owl is fairly large, ranging from 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long. An analysis of the weight of 13 birds of both sexes showed a range of 590 to 1,250 g (1.30 to 2.76 lb) and an average of 873 g (1.925 lb). The adult has a dark brown facial disk and white "brows" over dark reddish brown eyes. Its upperparts are dark chocolate brown with scattered buffy-white spots. The tail is also dark brown, with thin white bars. The upper breast is reddish brown with buff barring. The rest of the underparts are white to creamy with reddish brown barring. Voice: The band-bellied owl's vocalizations are also poorly known. It is "aid to give a short, deep trill followed by fast burst of popping notes", and "deep, muffled hoots" have been recorded in Peru. The sexes perform duets.

What the Band-bellied Owl sounds like

Recording: Elvis felipe quintero · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Ecuador Colombia Peru Bolivia

When to see it

The Band-bellied Owl can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Band-bellied Owl?: The band-bellied owl is fairly large, ranging from 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Band-bellied Owl?: The Band-bellied Owl is a large sized bird weighing about 696 g.
Where can you see a Band-bellied Owl?: The Band-bellied Owl occurs in 4 countries, including Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.
What does a Band-bellied Owl sound like?: You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Band-bellied Owl on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Band-bellied Owl?: The Band-bellied Owl is most easily confused with the Tawny-browed Owl and the Spectacled Owl.
Is the Band-bellied Owl endangered?: The Band-bellied Owl is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Band-bellied Owl for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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