Band-bellied owl

Band-bellied Owl
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Strigiformes
Family Information
Family	Strigidae
Sub-family	Striginae
Genus Information
Genus	Pulsatrix
Species Information
Species	P. melanota
Population statistics
Conservation status	Least concern

The band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota) is a species of owl of the family Strigidae, and found in South America.

Description

Band-bellied owls are large, with a body length of 14–19 inches, and weighing between 1.30–2.76 pounds. The upper body plumage is dark brown with a few pale spots. The underside of the body is whitish with conspicuous rust-brown to dark-brown transverse stripes, with the chest just underneath the head bearing a wide, brown band. The facial disk is brown with white eyebrows. The eyes are dark red-brown to black-brown. The legs are feathered, while the toes are naked. Like other species of this genus, they have no ear tufts.

The exact distribution area of this owl is not yet fully known. It occurs in Colombia, eastern Ecuador, Peru east of the Andes mountains, and in Bolivia. It inhabits humid and dense mountain forests to an elevation between 2,300 and 5,200 feet above sea level.

Subspecies

• Pulsatrix melanota melanota; southeastern Colombia to eastern Ecuador and southeastern Peru
• Pulsatrix melanota philoscia' Bolivia: Yungas ecoregion

Threats

Band-bellied owls are largely unknown; no complete studies as of yet have been made about this owl, but they are believed to be similar to the better known spectacled owl. The IUCN lists this bird as "least concern" due to an extensive range; however, they cite concern over habitat loss due to unrestricted logging within the Amazon river basin. It is estimated that band-bellied owls will suffer a population decline of some 25% over three generations (17 years) as a result.

References

• König, Claus, and Weick, Friedhelm. Owls of the World; Christopher Helm, London (2008)