Rufous-legged Owl Strix rufipes Scientific name definitions

The Rufous-legged Owl is a charismatic species of lowland and mid-elevation forest in southern South America.  In appearance it is overall similar to other Strix owls, but this species is rufous brown above, brown-and-white barred below, with orange-rufous leg feathering and large dark eyes.  It can be found in multiple different forest types, including those disturbed by humans, but higher densities of the species are usually associated with southern beech (Nothofagus) or mixed evergreen forests.  Vocalizations of the Rufous-legged Owl consist of a variety of grunting, hooting, and cackling noises.

33–38 cm (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); c. 350 g, females larger than males (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Compact, with large round head. Facial disc rusty with faint concentric dusky rings, white lores and eyebrows; upperparts dark rufous-brown, narrowly barred and spotted orange-buff and whitish; flight feathers and tail barred buff; throat white, chin barred; underparts buffy-white, heavily barred with blackish, vent uniform orange-buff; tarsus and toes fully feathered buffish; irides dark brown; cere and bill pale yellowish-horn (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile warm buff, obscurely barred dusky brown, face tawny, many white freckles on head. Race sanborni known only from immature specimen: smaller, eyebrows less prominent.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Dense, moist forest with mosses and lichens, and older secondary growth; more often found in old-growth forest with canopy cover exceeding 75% and heavy understorey, but also occurs in semi-open forest; typical tree species include Aextoxicum punctatum, Gevuina avellana, Nothofagus and Podocarpus; in more open habitats sometimes Araucaria and also high density of bamboo (2 Ibarra, J.T., Gálvez, N., Gimona, A., Altamirano, T.A., Rojas, I., Hester, A., Laker, J. and Bonacic, C. (2012). Rufous-legged Owl (Strix rufipes) and Austral Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium nanum) stand use in a gradient of disrupted and old growth Andean temperate forests, Chile. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment. 47(1): 33-40. Close ). Recorded also in forest remnants and pine plantations (Pinus radiata) at the Nahuelbuta range, S Chile (3 Rivas-Fuenzalida, T., Asciones-Contreras, N., Rivas, F., Peña, C. and Figueroa R., R.A. (2015). Presencia del concón (Strix rufipes) en remanentes de bosque y plantaciones de pino de la cordillera Nahuelbuta, sur de Chile. [Presence of the Rufous-legged Owl (Strix rufipes) in forest remnants and pine plantations of Nahuelbuta mountain range, southern Chile.] Boletín Chileno de Ornitología. 21(1-2): 83–92. In Spanish with English summary. Close ). Occurs from lowlands to mountain slopes, to at least 2000 m elevation (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Resident. Immatures may wander (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); recorded from Falkland Is (has possibly bred), and 1 report from South Georgia.

Specializes on small arboreal mammals, e.g. arboreal mouse (Irenomys tarsalis), long-tailed mouse (Oryzomys longicaudatus), scansorial black rat (Rattus rattus), also colocolo opossum (Dromiciops australis) and long-haired mouse (Akodon longipilis); birds (e.g. Furnariidae), amphibians (e.g. Leptodactylidae) and insects (e.g. Blattidae, Scarabaeidae) recorded in diet less frequently. In study in S Chile, mammals comprised 94·7% of prey biomass, with birds of minor importance (1·5%) and amphibians negligible (0·5%); although insects outnumbered mammals in the diet during spring and summer, their biomass contribution was unimportant on year-round basis. In C Chile near N limit of species range, 121 prey items made up of 57·8% mammals, 40·5% insects and 1·7% crustaceans (4 Alvarado O., S., Figueroa R., R.A., Shehadeh, I. and Corales S., E.S. (2007). Diet of the Rufous-legged Owl (Strix rufipes) at the northern limit of its distribution in Chile. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 119(3): 475-479. Close ). Nocturnal. Mainly a sit-and-wait predator; probably takes some prey by hawking.

A series of 10–12 loud, somewhat nasal and high-pitched notes “ú AU ú ú ú...”, with a bouncing effect, introduced by c. 4 dry and low-pitched “brrr” notes; very different from that of S. chacoensis. Readily responds to broadcasts of conspecific vocalizations (5 Trejo, A., Beaudoin, F. and Ojeda, V. (2011). Response of Rufous-legged Owls to broadcast of conspecific calls in southern temperate forests of Argentina. Journal of Raptor Research. 45(3): 267–271. Close ).

Poorly known. Laying probably from Oct. Nest usually in tree hole, occasionally in old raptor nest, possibly rarely on ground beneath cover; 4 nests in N Argentine Patagonia were in coihue tree (Nothofagus dombeyi) cavities, 3 of them apparently excavated by Magellanic Woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus), at 8∙2–9∙6 m above the ground (6 Beaudoin, F. and Ojeda, V. (2011). Nesting of Rufous-legged Owls in evergreen Nothofagus forests. Journal of Raptor Research. 45(3): 272–274. Close ). Clutch size 1–3 eggs; incubation period at one nest in S Chile at least 31 days, with egg hatching on 21 Dec and the nestling taken by a Chimango Caracara (Phalcoboenus chimango) nine days later (7 Ibarra, J.T., Altamirano, T.A., Vermehren, A., Vargas, F.H. and Martin, K. (2017). Observations of a tree-cavity nest of the Rufous-legged Owl and predation of an owl nestling by a Chimango Caracara in Andean temperate forests. Journal of Raptor Research. 51(1): 85-88. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Status uncertain, owing to rather elusive habits. 1986 report described species as once common, but appearing to be declining. In mid-1990s in S Chile, first quantitative study reported 0·13 pairs/km in secondary forest and 0·22 pairs/km in old-growth forest, with species closely associated with stands of old timber; predicted that, as forest continues to disappear through logging, the odds for species’ long-term survival would decrease. Occurs in several protected areas throughout its range, such as Nahuelbuta and Cerro La Campana National Parks, Chile, and Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina. Further research required. Younger birds, especially, are highly vulnerable to mortality from colliding with vehicles (8 Ojeda, V.S., Trejo, A.R., Seijas, S. and Chazarreta, L. (2015). Highway network expansion in Andean Patagonia: a warning notice from Rufous-legged Owls. Journal of Raptor Research. 49(2): 201-209. Close ).