Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana
The Tawny-browed Owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana) is a captivating, medium-sized raptor endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America. Measuring approximately 45-50 cm (18-20 in) in length and weighing 700-900 g (1.5-2 lbs), this robust owl is characterized by its striking facial disc, which is dark brown with prominent, pale rufous to tawny 'eyebrows' that extend above bright yellow eyes, giving it a perpetually surprised or intense expression. Its crown and upperparts are dark ...
Found primarily in humid evergreen forests, including primary and mature secondary growth of the Atlantic Forest biome, often near water sources. It inhabits both lowlands and montane regions, typically up to 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) in elevation.
Primarily a carnivore, its diet consists of a variety of small to medium-sized mammals (e.g., rodents, opossums, bats), birds (e.g., toucans, thrushes), and large insects (e.g., beetles, cicadas), which it catches through ambush hunting.
This Tawny-browed Owl is strictly nocturnal, becoming active at dusk and hunting through the night, then returning to dense, secluded foliage to roost during daylight hours. It employs a sit-and-wait foraging strategy, perching silently on a branch to scan for prey before swooping down with power...
The Tawny-browed Owl is a non-migratory resident species found exclusively within the Atlantic Forest biome of southeastern South America. Its distribution extends from southeastern Brazil, encompassing states like Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, a...
Near Threatened
- The Tawny-browed Owl is named after Baron Walter von Koenigswald, who collected the type specimen in Brazil in the late 19th century. - Its distinctive 'tawny eyebrows' are a key field mark that differentiates it from its larger relative, the Spectacled Owl (*P. perspicillata*), which has a mor...