Photo: dominic sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mottled Owl
Strix virgata
Mottled Owl (Strix virgata) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mottled Owl (Strix virgata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Strix
- Species virgata
Quick facts
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
Biology & behaviour
The Mottled Owl (Strix virgata) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA widespread.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 10.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Mottled Owl live?
The Mottled Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA widespread.
What family does the Mottled Owl belong to?
The Mottled Owl (Strix virgata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What sound does the Mottled Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Mottled Owl — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mottled Owl's range?
The Mottled Owl has a mapped global range of about 10.1 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.
Explore more birds
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Near Threatened
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Extinct
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Least Concern
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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.