Bird Album
Crested Owl
Lophostrix cristata (Daudin, 1800)
38–43 cmLength539 gWeight
The crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.
Busiest months: January–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru
Where and when it's recorded
Crested Owl has been recorded at 210 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Arenal MisticoparkCosta Rica1,048 records
- Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica839 records
- Donde Cope- La Unión de GuápilesCosta Rica610 records
More places
- Las Heliconias Lodge and hanging bridgesCosta Rica541 records
- PN Corcovado – Sector SirenaCosta Rica539 records
- Finca CántarosCosta Rica507 records
- Sacha LodgeEcuador456 records
- Veragua Rainforest ParkCosta Rica371 records
- RN San Cipriano-EscalereteColombia322 records
- Rancho NaturalistaCosta Rica320 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species (monotypic) in the genus Lophostrix. It is a resident bird and occurs in Central America and northern South America.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Crested Owl?
The Crested Owl is about 38–43 cm long and weighs around 539 g.
Where does the Crested Owl live?
Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: southern Mexico through Amazonia. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru.
When is the best time to see the Crested Owl?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and March (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Crested Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Crested Owl as Least Concern.
What does the Crested Owl eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Crested Owl in?
It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 38–43 cm
- Weight
- 539 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 310 mm
- Tail
- 183 mm
- Bill
- 34 mm
- Tarsus
- 46 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America, South America: southern Mexico through Amazonia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Owls Strigidae
- Genus
- Lophostrix
More from the family Owls
Papuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorpha
Rufous OwlNinox rufa
Powerful OwlNinox strenua
Barking OwlNinox connivens
Sumba BoobookNinox rudolfi
Australian BoobookNinox boobook
Rote BoobookNinox rotiensis
Timor BoobookNinox fusca
Alor BoobookNinox plesseni
Tasmanian BoobookNinox leucopsis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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