Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crested Owl
Lophostrix cristata
Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 539 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Lophostrix
- Species cristata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 539 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crested Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Crested Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA s Mexico through Amazonia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 539 g, with a wing length of about 31 cm and a tail of around 18.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crested Owl?
The Crested Owl is a large bird that weighs around 539 g.
Where does the Crested Owl live?
The Crested Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA s Mexico through Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crested Owl belong to?
The Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Crested Owl eat?
The Crested Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Crested Owl migrate?
The Crested Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crested Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Crested Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Crested Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Crested Owl's range?
The Crested Owl has a mapped global range of about 5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.