Lesser Horned Owl

Magellan Horned Owl ( Bubo magellanicus )

The Magellan Horned Owl ( Bubo magellanicus ) is a species of the family of authentics owls. He was ranked for a long time as a subspecies of Great Horned Owls. Meanwhile, however, is a broad scientific consensus that there is a unique species of owl.

Features

The Magellan Horned Owl is slightly smaller than the Great Horned Owl and reaches a body length of about 45 centimeters. The males have a wing length of 31.8 to 35.6 centimeters. In the females the wing length is 33 to 36.8 inches. They weigh about 800 grams.

Compared to the great horned owl 's beak is narrow, the feet are a little less vigorously pronounced and the ear tufts are smaller, narrower and more pointed tapering. The body bottom has fine dark cross bands, which are denser and more regular than the Great Horned Owl.

The song of the male is circumscribed onomatopoeic bu - hóohworrr; the emphasis is on the second syllable. Females sing like, call the hworrr part but longer stretched. During courtship males and females call sometimes alternately.

Distribution and habitat

The Magellan Horned Owl is a bird of the Andes. He concludes, in accordance ago in Central Peru, Bolivia and Argentina and Chile. It is found in Tierra del Fuego to Cape Horn. Basically, the Magellan Horned Owl is a state bird. However, the young birds show a more pronounced dispersion especially in autumn hike. For occurring in the southernmost populations has also observed migrations in the north during the winter months.

The habitat of the Magellan owls are rocky forests, semi-deserts. Its altitudinal distribution ranges from the low level to above the tree line in the mountains. As an upper limit of distribution are 4,500 meters above sea level. Chance he also uses human settlement space and comes in Patagonia, where the species is particularly common, even in city parks before.

Way of life

The Magellan Horned Owl is mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. In the extreme south of its range it can also be observed before sunset or sunrise - occasionally. He usually meets on a branch close to the tree trunk sitting. He uses as a meeting hideout and caves and crevices. The food range includes small mammals up to the size of hares and also birds and reptiles. Very likely include larger insects and spiders prey to his scheme.

The reproductive biology of Magellan owls has not yet been studied very intensively. However, like most owl species he is territorial. Males sing from different wait to see the limits of their territory. The nest is built on the ground. The nest consists of two to three white eggs are laid in late austral winter or early spring. There breed the females alone, which receive the breeding business after the first oviposition. The male supplies during the breeding season the female with food. The chicks are fed by both parents birds. The young birds leave the nest before they fledge and wander near the nesting place.

In Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, the Magellan Horned Owl is a common species in Chile populations have increased after the introduction of rabbits.

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