Magellanic Horned Owl
Encyclopedia
The Lesser Horned Owl or Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) is a large owl
of the genus Bubo
found in southern South America
, extending north to the central Andes
. It has traditionally been classified as a subspecies
of the Great Horned Owl
(Bubo virginianus), but is now frequently treated as a separate species based on differences in voice and size and because of the genetic distance
between the two.
It is about 45 centimetres long with birds in the north of the range being largest. It has broad wings and a large head with two "ear" tufts. The plumage
is mainly grey-brown but is quite variable in colour. The underparts are pale with narrow grey-brown bars and the breast has dark blotches. There is a black border to the facial disc and white stripes above the yellow eyes. The Great Horned Owl is similar but larger with stronger feet and bill, broader bars on the underparts and longer ear-tufts.
The deep hooting call consists of a double-note followed by a loud, vibrating note. The bird's local name tucúquere is imitative of the call.
The range extends from central Peru
and western Bolivia
southwards through Chile
and western Argentina
as far as Tierra del Fuego
. The bird occurs in a variety of habitats including open forest
, scrubland, farmland
and grassland
. It hunts over open country, mainly at night. Rodent
s make up most of the diet but bird
s and insect
s are also taken.
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
of the genus Bubo
Horned owl
The American horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the genus Bubo, at least as traditionally described. This genus, depending on definition, contains about one or two dozen species of typical owls and is found in many parts of the world. Some of the largest living Strigiformes are in...
found in southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, extending north to the central Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. It has traditionally been classified as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
(Bubo virginianus), but is now frequently treated as a separate species based on differences in voice and size and because of the genetic distance
Genetic distance
Genetic distance refers to the genetic divergence between species or between populations within a species. It is measured by a variety of parameters. Smaller genetic distances indicate a close genetic relationship whereas large genetic distances indicate a more distant genetic relationship...
between the two.
It is about 45 centimetres long with birds in the north of the range being largest. It has broad wings and a large head with two "ear" tufts. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is mainly grey-brown but is quite variable in colour. The underparts are pale with narrow grey-brown bars and the breast has dark blotches. There is a black border to the facial disc and white stripes above the yellow eyes. The Great Horned Owl is similar but larger with stronger feet and bill, broader bars on the underparts and longer ear-tufts.
The deep hooting call consists of a double-note followed by a loud, vibrating note. The bird's local name tucúquere is imitative of the call.
The range extends from central Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and western Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
southwards through Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and western Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
as far as Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. The bird occurs in a variety of habitats including open forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, scrubland, farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. It hunts over open country, mainly at night. Rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s make up most of the diet but bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s are also taken.