Magellanic Horned Owl Bubo virginianus magellanicus)

Magellanic Horned Owl Bubo virginianus magellanicus
(aka Bubo virginianus magellanicus
Chilean name: Tucúquere

Chile

The Magellanic Horned Owl is distributed from Peru to Tierra del Fuego mainly in Chile but also in adjacent western Argentina. It is found in a variety of habitats but requires open country for hunting and cliffs, trees or shrubs for roosting.

It was considered a sub-species of Great Horned Owl B. virginianus by Howard & Moore 2013 however many authorities such as Konig et al and Mikkola treat it as a species on the basis of differences in vocalization, appearance and DNA. This is also the treatment afforded by the HBW and Birdlife International Checklist.

Compared to the nominate Great Horned Owl it is smaller with smaller "horns" and narrower barring on the underparts.

Although it hunts mainly at dusk and dawn, in the south of its range where daylight can extend to almost 24 hours in summer, it is often seen during the day. Photos 1 to 3 were taken at 13:00 hours in Tierra del Fuego.

Photo 4 was taken at 10:00 am in Putre at the northern end of Chile but this was the daytime roost of the bird (in a small planting of eucalyptus near the centre of the village.)

Magellanic Horned Owl, Putre, Chile, February 2007 - click for a larger image

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