From Opus

Photo by jonlowes
Orotina, Costa Rica

Ciccaba nigrolineata

[edit] Identification

33-45cm females larger
White and black stripes on neck, stomach, and chest, white stripes on mostly black back and tail with a prominent, mostly white collar around the rear neck, black face with white speckled brows over dark-brown eyes. The feet and bill are an orange-yellow.

[edit] Distribution

Mexico through Central America to Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and French Guiana.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic ^[1]species which in the past, was considered conspecific with Black-banded Owl.

[edit] Ciccaba vs. Strix

Some authorities (Sibley & Monroe, 1996; IOC 1.6, 2008) retain Mottled Owl (virgata), Black-and-white Owl (nigrolineata), Black-banded Owl (huhula), and Rufous-banded Owl (albitarsis) in the genus Strix. König et al. state that the general morphology and phylogenetic evidence of these four species does not indicate separation from the rest of Strix, and Restall goes on to explain that they were originally separated into the genus Ciccaba based on anatomy of the external ear. While Clements (2007) and Howard & Moore (2003) do recognize Black-and-white Owl and Black-banded Owl as being in Ciccaba, Howard & Moore deviate from Clements and retain Mottled Owl and Rufous-banded Owl in Strix alongside aforementioned authorities. The Opus awaits further clarification.

[edit] Habitat

Lowlands to mid elevation, mostly wet forests including mangrove but also borders and urban parks

[edit] Behaviour

Nocturnal; spends the day high in dense vegetation.

[edit] Breeding

They nest mostly in natural holes in stumps and trees, but may also use old nests of squirrels, hawks or crows or place eggs within epiphytes. The 1 or 2 eggs are white.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes primarily insects and small mammals.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. BF Member observations
3. König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
4. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156

• List of references

[edit] External Links