Bird Guide

Black-and-white Owl vs Mottled Wood Owl

Black-and-white Owl (Strix nigrolineata)

Black-and-white Owl

Strix nigrolineata

Large458 gForest

The black-and-white owl is a medium-sized owl with a round head and no ear tufts. It is between 35 and 40 cm in length and weigh between 400 and 535 grams. As for most owl species, females are usually bigger than males with an average weight of 487 g and 418 g respectively. It has a striped black-and-white breast, belly, and vent. With the exception of a black-and white striped collar, the upperparts from the crown to the tail are a sooty black. The facial disc is mostly sooty black, with white "eyebrows" that extend from the bill to the collar. Voice: Its call consists of a series of rapid, guttural, low calls, followed by a short pause and a low, airy call and a faint, short hoot. Occasionally, it is shortened to just the last two notes, leaving out the opening series. Moreover, the female's call usually sounds louder than the male's and individuals make fainter "hoots" near their nest.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Black-and-white Owl
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · Call · Valle Fresco (near Caracas), Sucre, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata)

Mottled Wood Owl

Strix ocellata

Large559 gWoodland

This large owl lacks ear tufts and is mottled and vermiculated in reddish brown and white. The face disc is marked with fine concentric black and white barring. The sexes are alike. The chin is white. The eyelid is orange, and the iris is dark brown. The tail is barred narrowly in brown and black. The concentric barring on the face and mottled crown separate it from the brown wood owl in southern India. There are three subspecies recognized and there are no sharp demarcations in their distributions. S. o.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Mottled Wood Owl
Recorded by Dinesh Chaudhary · Call · Dang (near Mahardar), Gujarat, India · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Pramod CL · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-and-white Owl and Mottled Wood Owl.