ANIMALS - BIRDS - OWLS - BUFF-FRONTED OWL (AEGOLIUS HARRISII)

Animals - Birds - Owls

Buff-fronted owl (Aegolius harrisii)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigdae
Genus : Aegolius
Species : A. Harrisii

Description:

The Buff-fronted owl (Aegolius harrisii) is a small Owl. It is a rare and local resident in the highlands of South America from Venezuela south and east to Peru, northern Argentina and northwest Paraguay. The range is effectively separated into two parts by the unsuitable habitat of the Amazon basin.

This nocturnal bird breeds in open mountain forests, laying its eggs in a tree hole. It takes rodents and other small mammals as its main prey, but will also feed on birds and insects.

The Buff-fronted owl is a small, compact, short-tailed and broad-winged owl, 23 cm long and weighing 130 g. It is black above with white flecking on the wings. The underparts are unstreaked buff and the tail is brown with two spotted white bars. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a black-edged buff facial disc. The flight is strong and direct. The voice is a quavering trill sometimes varying in pitch.

The binomial commemorates the American ornithologist Edward Harris.

Binomial Name:

Name : Aegolius Harrisii
Taxonomist : John Cassin
Year : 1849
Subspecies : 3 (Dabbenei, Harrisii, Iheringi)
Synonym : Nyctale Harrisii

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Least Concern

Has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

Philatelic Issues

2015 - Uruguay - Stamp 1 of 8, from Owls Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: September 30th, 2015
Printed: 10.000 copies
Type : Stamp from Series of 8 Stamps
Value : UYP 15

Stamp : Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated