Black-banded Owl

Facts about Black-banded Owl. The Black-banded Owl is a black and white owl, first described by Spix in 1824. The Black-banded Owl is a medium sized tropical owl species. The Black-banded Owl is named and identifiable by the thick black bands interspersed with white bands. "Scientific name for the Black-banded Owl is Strix huhula". The species name was previously Ciccaba huhula, but the entire Ciccaba genus was combined with the “Strix” genus.
In Spanish, the species is called Cárabo negro.
There are two subspecies of Strix huhula. Strix huhula huhula is the standard for the species. Strix huhula huhula lives in Northeast Brazil, eastern Columbia, the Guianas, and Peru. The second subspecies is Strix huhula albomarginata. Strix huhula albomarginata lives in northeast Argentina, eastern Paraguay, and southeast Brazil.

Physical Characteristics for Black-banded Owl

The Black-banded Owl has a dark grey and black facial disk. It has white or gray concentric lines around the edge of the facial disk. The eyebrows over the dark brown or black eyes are black speckled with white. The cere is yellow to yellow-orange. The bill is yellow. The upper parts are dark brown to dark gray. The flight feathers are dark brown and gray with lighter striations. The primary feathers are much darker than the rest of the feathers. The tail feathers are dark, with dark brown or grey coloring with four to five off-white stripes. The toes are not covered in feathers and dark yellow in color. Its claws have dark tips.
The Black-banded Owl resembles the Black-and-White Owl except that it has far more black in its striping pattern.
The Black-banded Owl is fourteen to sixteen inches (35.4 to 40.6 cm) long. The bird weighs around one pound (.45 kg) fully grown.

Behavior of Black-banded Owl

This bird becomes active at dusk and is most active at night. It eats insects like locusts, beetles, and cicadas. The Black-banded Owl eats small mammals and vertebrates. It probably nests in tree holes.
Its call is similar to the name – huhula. Its call is similar to the related Black-and-White Owl.
The species does not migrate within its range.

Habitat of Black-banded Owl

The Black-banded Owl lives in tropical and subtropical rainforests. In contrast, the
Black-and-White Owl does not live in rainforests. The Black-banded Owl has been found in coffee and banana plantations in its native range. It has been found in the forested lowlands up to 1,500 feet but may range even higher in the Andean foothills. The Black-banded Owl lives throughout the Amazon Basin except along the coast of Brazil.

Range of Black-banded Owl

The Black-banded Owl is found in South America south of Central America, east of the Andes Mountains. It is found from Columbia to Bolivia; it is found in southeast Brazil and northern Argentina. It is found east of the Andes in Peru and the tropical forests of Suriname.
Its range is farther south than the related Black-and-White Owl.

Trivia of Black-banded Owl

Its wide range throughout South America makes the species of least concern to the IUCN. Surveys of its population density suggest that its numbers are declining due to logging and deforestation, but it is not expected to be vulnerable due to the large range.

A bird documented in 2009 called the San Isidro Owl may be a distinctive Black-banded Owl, representative of a subspecies of the Black-banded Owl or represent a new species. Or it may be a bridge between the two related species, Black-banded Owls and Black-and-White Owl.