Mistery owl, Peru (1 Viewer)

[miguelrouco]

Hi all:

This owl (see attachment) was photographed in Manu National Park (Peru), near Cock-of-the-rock lodge, 1400 m. above sea level, on 31-July-2010.
It seems to have intermediate features between Black-banded Owl (Ciccaba huhula) and Rufous-banded Owl (Ciccaba albitarsis).
I would be very grateful for any help about its ID.

Best regards

 

[birdboybowley]

See what you mean....interesting. Not sure what an immature Black-banded Owl with mostly-attained adult plumage looks like as it seems to tick more boxes for that species

 

[Birdingcraft]

How fortunate and fantastic of you to get this image! The pattern looks like Rufous-banded Owl (underparts that have vertical and horizontal markings) but the coloring looks too dark for what is usually shown by that species.

The elevation is rather high for Black banded Owl and that species has finer black and white barring above and below.

There is also the question of this being something along the lines of the mystery Ciccaba taxon that has been recorded at similar elevations in Ecuador but the underparts of that are also finely barred black and white and lack the vertical markings show by this bird (and Rufous-banded Owl).

With that in mind, I bet its a dark Rufous-banded Owl but this is a reminder that Ciccaba owls at subtropical elevations on the eastern slope of the Andes merit study!