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Chris, Norfolk
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Rufous-legged owl
Rufous-legged owl

This owl lives at Banham Zoo in Norfolk.

The rufous-legged owl is a nocturnal, medium-sized compact owl, with a round head and no ear tufts. It is 13 to 15 in. (33 to 38 cm) long and weighs about 12 oz. (350 g). Females are larger than males. Adults have a rusty facial disk, white 'brows' over dark brown eyes. Its upperparts are dark reddish brown with narrow orange-buff bars and spots. The tail is also reddish brown, with buff bars. The throat is white, most of the underparts are buffy white with many black bars. The legs and toes are covered with buffy feathers. The chicks are downy off-white, and juveniles are a warm buff with faint dusky brown barring and a tawny face.
This owl is found in from Valparaíso Province in Chile and Mendoza Province in western Argentina, south to the tip of Tierra del Fuego. The species primarily inhabits moist old-growth forest with a closed canopy and a dense understory. It is also found in older secondary forest and semi-open forest. It roosts and calls mainly in upper to middle levels of the canopy, usually well hidden. Its loud barking and hooting song is striking and carries well on still nights. In elevation it ranges from sea level to at least 6,600 ft. (2,000 m).
The rufous-legged owl usually hunts from a low perch, sometimes at forest edges and along roadsides. Its primary prey is small mammals. Birds, amphibians, and insects are also taken but account for only a small percentage of its diet.
Not much is known about the rufous-legged owl's breeding habits. It probably lays 1 to 3 eggs beginning in October. It usually nests in a tree cavity, either natural or excavated by a woodpecker. It occasionally will use an old raptor nest and is thought to possibly nest on the ground as well.
The rufous-legged owls conservation status is 'Least Concern'. It occurs in several protected areas, but outside them is potentially threatened by logging of its mature forest habitat.

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Taken on: September 22, 2022
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Camera: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
ISO: 125
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: Uncalibrated
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Rufous-legged owl

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