Strix fulvescens
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The fulvous owl (Strix fulvescens), or Guatemala barred owl, is a resident of the cloud forests of Central America. A medium-sized true owl, it has a round head, lacking ear tufts. Its typical coloration is warm dark brown or reddish brown on the back and lighter brown on the front with darker barring. Adults weigh approximately 600 grams (21 oz), with females being heavier. Its distribution is limited to highland regions of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. It inhabits elevations from 1,200 to 3,100 meters (3,900 to 10,200 ft), and is fairly common within its range. Its behavior is poorly known, as are its population size and distribution. It is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although it is considered endangered in Mexico.
The fulvous owl is a monotypic species in the genus Strix. It is a member of the true owl family, Strigidae. It was formally described in 1868, as Syrnium fulvescens. The type specimen came from Guatemala. In 1970 it was classified as a subspecies of the barred owl (Strix varia), but it is generally recognized as a separate species today, although some researchers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fulvous Owl sighting in El Triunfo on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 130th most-seen of the 221 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Fulvous Owl in El Triunfo on a given day, against under 5% in February and November–December, the lowest months. That is one of El Triunfo's driest months, with about 65 mm of rain against 420 mm in June. June has too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fulvous Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Fulvous Owl sightings, El Triunfo has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Celaque National Park (Honduras, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fulvous Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in El Triunfo (29 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.
