Appearance
The striped owl is a relatively large species with prominent tufts of elongated feathers on the crown resembling ears. It is 30–38 centimetres and weighs from 320 to 546 g. Its head, back, hot wings and tail are brown with black stripes and small markings while its underparts are buff-coloured with heavy black streaking on the breast. The facial disk is pure white with a thin black border.
Naming
Its systematic placement is not resolved. Different authorities place it in ''Asio'', in ''Pseudoscops'' together with the Jamaican owl, or more rarely into the monotypic genus ''Rhinoptynx''.
Distribution
The striped owl is native to much of South and Central America. Its range is not well known, perhaps because it is nocturnal and not easily seen, but it is known from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. It uses a variety of habitats, including riparian woodlands, marshes, savannahs, grassy open areas, and tropical rainforests. It can be found from sea level to 1,600 metres and above.
Status
The striped owl has a very large range and its population is believed to be stable. It faces no particular threats, and as a result, the IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".References:
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