Photo: Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spectacled Owl
Pulsatrix perspicillata
Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 984 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 Pulsatrix
- Species perspicillata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 984 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spectacled Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Spectacled Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA s Mexico to ne Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 984 g, with a wing length of about 33.9 cm and a tail of around 20.3 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 12.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spectacled Owl?
The Spectacled Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 984 g.
Where does the Spectacled Owl live?
The Spectacled Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA s Mexico to ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spectacled Owl belong to?
The Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Spectacled Owl eat?
The Spectacled Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Spectacled Owl migrate?
The Spectacled Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spectacled 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 Spectacled Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Spectacled 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 Spectacled Owl's range?
The Spectacled Owl has a mapped global range of about 12.7 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.