Birdfinding.info ⇒ Fairly common over much of its range. Some areas where it has been seen regularly include: the mountains above Santiago, Chile, especially the road up to La Parva; San Carlos de Bariloche in Río Negro, Argentina; Lake Huacarpay near Cuzco, Peru; and most of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia.
Lesser Horned Owl
Bubo magellanicus
Southern and western South America.
Approximate distribution of the Lesser Horned Owl. © BirdLife International 2016
Resident from Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia north through Chile, western Argentina, and the Andes of Bolivia and Peru.
Inhabits rocky landscapes, deserts, semi-open temperate forests, and parkland, including settled areas.
Identification
A slightly smaller version of the more widespread Great Horned Owl, of which it was formerly classified as a subspecies. In areas where both species may occur—i.e., in parts of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina—visual identification is unreliable; voice is diagnostic.
Lesser Horned Owl. (Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina; February 24, 2007.) © Hugo Hulsberg
Both are large owls with prominent ear-tufts and vivid yellow eyes. Their plumage is mainly cold gray-brown or warm-brown overall, with intricately patterned upperparts and finely barred underparts.
Although Lesser averages somewhat smaller than Great Horned, their measurements overlap extensively such that Lesser’s measurements fall within Great Horned’s range of size variation. Despite this overlap, some Lessers show distinctive proportions, their heads appearing large for their bodies.
Lesser Horned Owl, showing proportionately large-looking head and feet compared to its overall size. (Pehuenches, Neuquén, Argentina; May 13, 2015.) © Diego Zeverini
Lesser tends to appear more uniform in coloration, usually lacking the contrasting rusty-brown tones that are typical of Great Horned Owls, especially around the eyes. But both are variable in the details of their coloration, and the variation with Great Horned likely encompasses the variation within Lesser.
Lesser Horned Owl, a relatively cold grayish-brown individual. (Cueva La Leona Natural Monument, Laguna Blanca, Magallanes, Chile; December 5, 2021.) © Sebastián Saiter Villagrán
Lesser Horned Owl, a relatively warm-brown individual blending into its rocky habitat. (Lo Barnechea, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile; November 11, 2016.) © Javier Gross
Lesser Horned Owl, dorsal view in flight showing cinnamon-buffy panels in its flight feathers. (Río Chico, Santa Cruz, Argentina; February 20, 2022.) © Ezequiel Racker
Lesser Horned Owl, ventral view in flight showing black crescent on the primary coverts. (Río Chico, Santa Cruz, Argentina; February 20, 2022.) © Ezequiel Racker
Notes
Monotypic species. Formerly classified as a subspecies of the Great Horned Owl (B. virginianus).
More Images of the Lesser Horned Owl
Lesser Horned Owl, a relatively warm-brown and pale individual. (Acantilados Federico Santa María Nature Sanctuary, Valparaíso, Chile; May 8, 2021.) © Esteban Villanueva
Lesser Horned Owl, a relatively warm-brown individual with extensive blackish markings. (Cuesta Lo Prado, Pudahuel, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile; January 30, 2014.) © Esteban Villanueva
References
BirdLife International. 2016. Bubo magellanicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T61752097A95179224. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T61752097A95179224.en. (Accessed September 29, 2023.)
de la Peña, M.R., and M. Rumboll. 1998. Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica. Princeton University Press.
eBird. 2023. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, N.Y. http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed September 29, 2023.)
Erize, F., J.R. Rodriguez Mata, and M. Rumboll. 2006. Birds of South America: Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers. Princeton University Press.
iNaturalist. 2023. https://www.inaturalist.org/. (Accessed September 29, 2023.)
König, C., and F. Weick. 2008. Owls of the World (Second Edition). Yale University Press.
Martínez Piña, D.E., and G.E. González Cifuentes. 2021. Field Guide to the Birds of Chile. Princeton University Press.
Mikkola, H. 2012. Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide. Firefly Books, London.
Schulenberg, T.S., D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O’Neill, and T.A. Parker. 2007. Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press.
Xeno-Canto. 2023. Lesser Horned Owl – Bubo magellanicus. https://xeno-canto.org/species/Bubo-magellanicus. (Accessed September 29, 2023.)