- Ciccaba albitarsis
Strix albitarsis
Identification
Medium size owl, 30-35 cm. Upperside patterned dark brown and paler brown, underside barred black and rufous on upper breast, paler buff to white on lower breast and abdomen with dark cross-patterns to the feathers. Eyes are yellow to yellow-orange. Face is dark around eyes, greyish around bill, and rufous distally in facial disk. Legs feathered whitish but toes unfeathered. Individual variation is said to be large.
Distribution
Andes of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and just into Venezuela (in southern part of range only on east slope of Andes).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Ciccaba vs. Strix
Some authorities (Sibley & Monroe, 1996; IOC 5.3, 2015) 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. Clements (2015) and Howard & Moore (2014) do recognize all four species as being in Ciccaba and the Opus follows.
Habitat
Forested areas from medium to high in the the Andes, and at the higher elevation also in semi-open areas with some groups of trees.
Behaviour
Strictly nocturnal, but active shortly after dusk.
Diet
Food is mainly unknown; at one location in Colombia was attracted by moth around a lamp post.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
- BF member personal observation
