Lophostrix cristata
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species (monotypic) in the genus Lophostrix. It is a resident bird and occurs in Central America and northern South America. It is a medium-sized owl, easily recognizable with its very long whitish ear tufts and otherwise darker appearance. It inhabits lowland rainforests and prefers old growth in proximity with water. The crested owl is a strictly nocturnal species, but very little is known about its behaviour.
The genus of the crested owl is in the family Strigidae as well as the subfamily Striginae and is traditionally recognized as a part of the tribe Strigini along with Strix, Jubula and Pulsatrix. However, recent analysis suggest that Lophostrix could form its own tribe, Pulsatrigini, with Pulsatrix.
There are three recognized subspecies: Lophostrix cristata cristata (Daudin, 1800) Lophostrix cristata wedeli (Griscom, 1932) Lophostrix cristata stricklandi (Sclater & Salvin, 1859) It has been suggested that Lophostrix cristata stricklandi could be specifically distinct from Lophostrix cristata on the basis that it has a grey morph, a shorter song and strictly yellow... Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complejo Turistico de Quistococha | 🇵🇪 Peru |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Owl sighting in Corcovado National Park on a given day, based on 493 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 101st most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Owl in Corcovado National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Crested Owl sightings, Corcovado National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Darién National Park (Panama, about 10%) and Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Corcovado National Park (493 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
