Crested owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crested owl |
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Lophostrix
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cristata
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The crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a cool type of owl that belongs to the Strigidae family. It's the only species in its group, called a genus, named Lophostrix. These owls live in Central America and northern South America. They are medium-sized owls, easy to spot because of their very long, whitish ear tufts and darker feathers. Crested owls live in lowland rainforests, especially older forests near water. They are active only at night, but we don't know much about their daily lives.
Contents
What is the Crested Owl?
The crested owl is a unique bird. It's known for its distinctive look. This owl is the only one of its kind in the Lophostrix genus.
Owl Family Tree: How Crested Owls are Related
The crested owl is part of the Strigidae family. This family includes many different types of owls. Scientists group animals based on how they are related.
There are three types, or subspecies, of the crested owl:
- Lophostrix cristata cristata (Daudin, 1800)
- Lophostrix cristata wedeli (Griscom, 1932)
- Lophostrix cristata stricklandi (Sclater & Salvin, 1859)
Some experts think that Lophostrix cristata stricklandi might be a separate species. This is because it can have grey feathers. It also has a shorter call and only yellow eyes.
What Does a Crested Owl Look Like?
The crested owl is a medium-sized bird. It is about 38 to 43 centimeters (15 to 17 inches) long. It weighs between 425 and 620 grams (about 15 to 22 ounces).
You can easily recognize it by its very long, white or light brown ear tufts. It also has a clear whitish stripe above its eyes. This stripe goes right into its ear tufts. Its eyes can be yellow or brown. The owl's beak is usually yellow or darker. Its toes are a light grey-brown color.
Baby Owls: How Young Crested Owls Look
Young crested owls have soft, whitish downy feathers. Their face is dark. Their ear tufts are short, unlike the adults. Their flight and tail feathers look similar to adult owls.
Feather Colors: Dark and Light Morphs
Adult crested owls can have two main feather colors. These are called color morphs. One is a dark morph, and the other is a pale morph.
The dark morph owl is mostly chocolate-brown. Its head, face, and upper chest are also a deep chocolate color. Its wing feathers have white dots. All its flight feathers have light and dark stripes. The tail feathers are chocolate brown with darker spots. Its throat is a pale, light brown.
The light morph owls are more of a reddish-brown color. They have a dark brown band across their upper chest.
Where Do Crested Owls Live?
Crested owls live in Central America and northern South America. They stay in these areas all year round.
Countries Where Crested Owls are Found
You can find the crested owl in many countries. These include Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. They live in most of the Amazon Basin.
What Kind of Home Do Crested Owls Like?
Crested owls prefer subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. They also live in moist montane forests. They can be found up to 1000 meters (about 3,300 feet) high. They like areas with thick plants on the ground. They also like places with dead standing trees.
These owls love to be near water. They prefer old, untouched forests. But they can also live in forests that are growing back. They are most common in old forests that flood sometimes. They are less common in swampy forests that flood seasonally.
In Mexico, they live in tropical evergreen and semi-deciduous forests. They are also found near rivers and in clearings.
How Do Crested Owls Behave?
Like most owls, the crested owl is active only at night. During the day, they usually rest with their partner. They hide in thick bushes. They also like to perch 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 feet) above the ground. They often choose spots along forested streams or rivers.
If a crested owl is disturbed while resting, it will stand tall and slim. It will also raise its ear tufts high. This makes it look bigger and more intimidating.
Breeding: Raising Baby Owls
Crested owls usually breed during the dry season or early wet season. They seem to make their nests in natural holes found in old, large trees.
What Do Crested Owls Eat?
These owls mainly eat large insects. Scientists also think they eat small animals with backbones. Bats are a small part of their diet, about 5%. But crested owls are known to eat whatever food they can find. Recently, two crested owls were seen catching Seba's short-tailed bats in special nets.
What Does a Crested Owl Sound Like?
The crested owl has a special call. They usually make this call when they are perched high in the treetops. Their call is a low sound that travels far. It sounds like Gooooorrr or Broorrr.
Their song sounds a bit like a frog croaking. It can sometimes be mistaken for the call of the Bare-throated tiger heron. The song starts with a stuttering rattle, like k-k-kkkk. Then it gets faster and becomes a deep, rough, guttural sound, krrrrrao. If you are far away, you might not hear the first few notes. The owl repeats its song every few seconds.
Crested owls tend to call more often around the summer solstice.
Are Crested Owls in Danger?
The crested owl is currently listed as a species of "least concern" by the IUCN. This means they are not considered threatened right now. Their population was stable as of 2012.
Even though their numbers are slowly decreasing, they live across a very large area. There are estimated to be over 10,000 adult owls. However, it's thought that they could lose 18-21% of their suitable home in the next 17 years. This means their numbers might drop by 25% over three generations.
This owl is still quite common in untouched forests in the Amazon. But it could become endangered in local areas where forests are being cut down.
Images for kids
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A crested owl in Panama.
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A close-up of a crested owl.
See also
In Spanish: Búho corniblanco para niños
