Strix rufipes
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The rufous-legged owl (Strix rufipes) is a medium-sized owl. It is found in Argentina and Chile. The latter is known from a single immature specimen. At one time what is now treated as the Chaco owl (S. chacoensis) was also considered to be a subspecies of rufous-legged owl, but the two differ in plumage, morphology, and voice.
The rufous-legged owl is compact, with a round head and no ear tufts. It is 33 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in) long and weighs about 350 g (12 oz); females are larger than males. Adults have a rusty facial disk, white "brows" over dark brown eyes, and white lores. 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, and the vent area is orange-buff. The legs and toes are covered with buffy feathers. The chick is downy off-white. The juvenile is a warm buff with faint dusky brown barring and a tawny face.
The rufous-legged owl is found in Chile from approximately... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 4 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vogelpark Turnersee | 🇦🇹 Austria |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-legged Owl sighting in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 109th most-seen of the 111 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-legged Owl in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-legged Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous-legged Owl sightings, Nahuel Huapi National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park (Chile, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-legged Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Nahuel Huapi National Park (18 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.
