Strix albitarsis
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The rufous-banded owl (Strix albitarsis) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. However, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC/AOS), the Clements taxonomy, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) assign it to genus Ciccaba. Even more confusingly, HBW agrees with the assignment of three subspecies but Clements considers the species to be monotypic.
The rufous-banded owl is 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) long; two specimens weighed 265 and 350 g (9.3 and 12.3 oz). It has a round head and no ear tufts. Adults have a rufous facial disk that is blacker around the orange eyes, white "brows", and white lores. The rest of the head and the upperparts are blackish brown with buffy rufous bars and spots. The tail is also blackish brown, with lighter bars. The chest is dark brown with whitish and tawny bars and spots... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dantas | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Parque Cóndor | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Banded Owl sighting in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 266th most-seen of the 446 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Banded Owl in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous Banded Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous Banded Owl sightings, Podocarpus National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%) and Los Nevados National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous Banded Owl that you can see in Podocarpus National Park (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are White-throated Screech-Owl (about 10%) and Band-bellied Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous Banded Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Podocarpus National Park (34 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.
