Tawny-browed owl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tawny-browed owl
Tawny-browed Owl adult at Serra da Cantareira state park, São Paulo state, Brazil
Tawny-browed Owl subadult at Serra do Mar state park, São Luiz do Paraitinga, São Paulo state, Brazil
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Pulsatrix
Species:	P. koeniswaldiana
Binomial name
Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana (Bertoni, MS & Bertoni, AW, 1901)
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The Tawny-browed Owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana) is a cool bird of prey that lives in parts of South America. It's a type of owl that belongs to the Strigidae family, which includes many well-known owls. You can find this owl in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

About the Tawny-browed Owl

What's in a Name?

The Tawny-browed Owl might be related to another owl called the band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota). Some scientists thought they might even be the same species. However, they look different and make different sounds. This owl is also monotypic, which means it's the only species in its group.

How to Spot One

The Tawny-browed Owl is about 44 centimeters (17 inches) long. Male owls usually weigh between 405 to 562 grams (14 to 20 ounces). Female owls are a bit heavier, weighing from 331 to 670 grams (12 to 24 ounces).

It has a brown face that's surrounded by a yellowish-brown color. You might notice a white patch on its chin. It also has creamy "brows" above its chestnut-brown eyes. Its back, upper body, and tail are dark chocolate brown. The tail has white stripes across it. Its belly is a light tan color, and the rest of its underside is a light yellowish-brown.

When a Tawny-browed Owl is very young, it's almost completely white. Over several years, it slowly grows its adult feathers and colors.

Where Do They Live?

The Tawny-browed Owl lives in Brazil, from the state of Espírito Santo down to northern Rio Grande do Sul. It also lives in nearby areas of eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.

These owls like to live in wet tropical forests and open woodlands. They also enjoy forests where Araucaria evergreen trees grow. You can find them from sea level up to about 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) high in the mountains.

Owl Behavior

What Do They Eat?

The Tawny-browed Owl is a nocturnal animal, which means it is active at night. It hunts for its food from a high spot in the trees. It likes to eat small mammals, birds, and large insects. It probably eats other small animals too.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Scientists don't know a lot about how the Tawny-browed Owl breeds. We don't know exactly when their nesting season is. Usually, a female owl will lay two eggs in a hole in a tree. The female owl sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. Both parents take care of the young owls once they leave the nest.

What Do They Sound Like?

The male Tawny-browed Owl makes a low, deep sound that goes down in pitch. It sounds like a series of "brrr brrr brrr brrr" or "ut ut ut ut ut" notes. The sounds get faster and quieter towards the end. The female owl answers with a higher-pitched call.

Conservation Status

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the Tawny-browed Owl as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. However, we don't know exactly how many of these owls there are. They are thought to be "relatively rare" or "uncommon."

Even though they are not in immediate danger, their home, the Atlantic Forest, has shrunk a lot. It has also been broken up into smaller pieces. This makes it harder for the owls to find good places to live. Luckily, they do live in some protected areas, which helps keep them safe.