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World Owl Trust

Monday May 12th, 2008


Rufous-legged Owl
Strix rufipes
Click on small image to view larger one   Strix rufipes rufipes
As of February 2005.
Description Medium sized owl with no ear tufts. Upper-parts rufous-brown barred with white, more extensive white barring on nape and head. Under-parts white barred with brown. Facial disk rufous with dark eyes. Legs and feet orange-brown to cinnamon.
Size 33-38cm, 300-400g
Range C Chile and WC Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and occasionally the Falkland Islands.
Habitat Dense moist montane forest and semi-open lowland forest.
Food Small mammals, birds and insects.
Breeding Little known, October. 2-3 eggs laid in a tree hole.
Call Rapid sequence of 3-4 grunting notes followed by 10-12 high pitched nasal notes.
Status Listed as not globally threatened, although habitat loss through logging is extensive in some parts of its range.
Comments Little is known about the ecology of this species. It is hoped that the captive birds at the Owl Centre can teach us about its behaviour, vocalisations and reproductive biology.
Races The race sanborni from the Chiloe Island is described form one immature specimen and it may simply represent a dark morph.
S.r.rufipes C Chile and extreme WC Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands
S.r.sanborni Chiloe Island off C Chile

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