Buff-fronted Owl (Aegolius harrisii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Buff-fronted Owl

Aegolius harrisii (Cassin, 1849)

19–21 cmLength120 gWeight

The buff-fronted owl (Aegolius harrisii) is a small owl.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Buff-fronted Owl has been recorded at 26 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Reserva Jorupe y Urraca LodgeEcuador126 records
  2. Finca La MontañaArgentina74 records
  3. Brasília – Pompílio Marques, Faz. GrotãoBrazil66 records
More places
  1. Santo André – Estrada do TaquarussuBrazil35 records
  2. Salesópolis – Sítio MacuquinhoBrazil30 records
  3. Proyecto Seamos BosquesArgentina23 records
  4. San Sebastián de la SelvaArgentina14 records
  5. Reserva Natural Privada Eco-Portal de PiedraArgentina12 records
  6. Ipal EcolodgePeru10 records
  7. Chamicero del Perijá Proaves ReserveColombia10 records

Countries and regions with the most records

BrazilArgentinaEcuadorPeruParaguayColombiaUruguayBolivia

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 buff-fronted owl (Aegolius harrisii) is a small owl. It is found in widely separated areas in every South American country except French Guiana and Suriname.

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

Questions

How big is the Buff-fronted Owl?

The Buff-fronted Owl is about 19–21 cm long and weighs around 120 g.

Where does the Buff-fronted Owl live?

Its breeding range: South America: eastern, central. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.

When is the best time to see the Buff-fronted Owl?

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

Is the Buff-fronted Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Buff-fronted Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Buff-fronted Owl eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Buff-fronted Owl in?

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

At a glance

Length
19–21 cm
Weight
120 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
150 mm
Tail
73 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
28 mm

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

Range

South America: eastern, central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Aegolius

Other birds in the genus Aegolius

Boreal OwlBoreal OwlAegolius funereusNorthern Saw-whet OwlNorthern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusUnspotted Saw-whet OwlUnspotted Saw-whet OwlAegolius ridgwayiPapuan Hawk-OwlPapuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorphaRufous OwlRufous OwlNinox rufaPowerful OwlPowerful OwlNinox strenuaBarking OwlBarking OwlNinox connivensSumba BoobookSumba BoobookNinox rudolfiAustralian BoobookAustralian BoobookNinox boobookRote BoobookRote BoobookNinox rotiensis
Buff-fronted Owl

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

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