About Strix virgata (Cassin, 1849)
The mottled owl, Strix virgata, is a medium-sized owl. Adult individuals measure 280 to 355 mm (11 to 14 inches) in total length, and females are considerably larger than males. This species shows the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism of any owl species. The bird's crown, nape, and back are mottled in multiple shades of dark brown. It has a pale brown facial disc, while the throat, breast, and belly are off-white with distinct vertical brown streaks. Its large eyes are brown, the beak is greyish-yellow or greyish-blue, and the legs and feet are greyish-yellow. A darker color morph exists with buff-colored breast and belly. Mottled owls produce a variety of calls: these include a hoot used to maintain territory boundaries, plus various whistles, screeches, and hisses. This species is native to Central and South America. Its range stretches from southern Mexico down to Argentina and Brazil, and it occurs at elevations up to approximately 2,500 m (8,200 ft). It lives in a wide range of wooded habitats, including rainforest, woodland verges, dry thorn forest, pine-oak woodland, and plantations. It can also be found in open countryside that has scattered trees. It is common across parts of its range, and is often found near human habitations. The first confirmed record of the species in the United States came in 1983, when a specimen was collected on the American bank of the Rio Grande. Forty years after this first record, a mottled owl was photographed in Starr County, Texas. There is also an additional 2006 record of the species from Texas.
