Lophostrix cristata
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 Darién National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 139th most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Owl in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May, July–August and October–November, 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.
Among the best
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Crested Owl sightings, Darién National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Corcovado National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Crested Owl that you can see in Darién National Park (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are Central American Pygmy-Owl (about 20%), Spectacled Owl (about 10%) and Chocó Screech-Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (53 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.
