Band-bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Band-bellied Owl

Pulsatrix melanota (Tschudi, 1844)

44–48 cmLength82 gWeight

The band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Busiest months: January · Most records: Ecuador, Peru, Colombia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January · Most records: Ecuador, Peru, Colombia

Band-bellied Owl has been recorded at 29 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. WildSumaco LodgeEcuador1,178 records
  2. Reserva Natural La Isla EscondidaColombia580 records
  3. Copalinga LodgeEcuador361 records
More places
  1. Waqanki/Quebrada MishquiyaquilloPeru290 records
  2. Reserva Biologica del Rio BigalEcuador275 records
  3. Sadiri LodgeBolivia203 records
  4. Flor de Café/PlataformaPeru167 records
  5. Sumaco RoadEcuador110 records
  6. Waqanki/Quebrada Mishquiyaquillo – Senda CrestaPeru82 records
  7. Morro de CalzadaPeru60 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EcuadorPeruColombiaBolivia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Band-bellied Owl?

The Band-bellied Owl is about 44–48 cm long and weighs around 82 g.

Where does the Band-bellied Owl live?

Its breeding range: South America: southeastern Colombia to Bolivia. It is most often recorded in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Band-bellied Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Band-bellied Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Band-bellied Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Band-bellied Owl eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Band-bellied Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Length
44–48 cm
Weight
82 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
276 mm
Tail
174 mm
Bill
35 mm
Tarsus
44 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: southeastern Colombia to Bolivia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Pulsatrix

Other birds in the genus Pulsatrix

Spectacled OwlSpectacled OwlPulsatrix perspicillataTawny-browed OwlTawny-browed OwlPulsatrix koeniswaldianaPapuan Hawk-OwlPapuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorphaRufous OwlRufous OwlNinox rufaPowerful OwlPowerful OwlNinox strenuaBarking OwlBarking OwlNinox connivensSumba BoobookSumba BoobookNinox rudolfiAustralian BoobookAustralian BoobookNinox boobookRote BoobookRote BoobookNinox rotiensisTimor BoobookTimor BoobookNinox fusca
Band-bellied Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Larry Kay. ↗

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