Strix rufipes
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 70 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–June and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-legged Owl in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–September and December–April, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Rufous-legged Owl sightings, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Nahuel Huapi National Park (Argentina, under 5%) and Torres del Paine 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 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park (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.
