Mottled Owl Strix virgata Scientific name definitions
- LC Least Concern
- Names (37)
- Subspecies (7)
Denver W. Holt, Regan Berkley, Caroline Deppe, Paula L. Enríquez, Julie L. Petersen, José Luis Rangel Salazar, Kelley P. Segars, Kristin L. Wood, Guy M. Kirwan, Jeffrey S. Marks, and Peter F. D. Boesman
Version: 1.1 — Published October 25, 2022
Revision Notes
Revision Notes
Sign in to see your badges
Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Gestreepte Bosuil |
| Bulgarian | Пъстра улулица |
| Catalan | gamarús cafè |
| Croatian | prugastoleđa sova |
| Czech | puštík proměnlivý |
| Dutch | Bonte bosuil |
| English | Mottled Owl |
| English (AVI) | Mottled Owl |
| English (United States) | Mottled Owl |
| Estonian | välukakk |
| Finnish | viirumetsäpöllö |
| French | Chouette mouchetée |
| French (Canada) | Chouette mouchetée |
| German | Sprenkelkauz |
| Icelandic | Skógarugla |
| Japanese | ナンベイヒナフクロウ |
| Norwegian | demonugle |
| Polish | puszczyk pstry |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | coruja-do-mato |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Mottled Owl |
| Russian | Крапчатая неясыть |
| Serbian | Pirgava sova |
| Slovak | sova čiarková |
| Spanish | Cárabo Café |
| Spanish (Argentina) | Lechuza Estriada |
| Spanish (Costa Rica) | Lechuza Café |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Búho Moteado |
| Spanish (Honduras) | Búho Moteado |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Búho Café |
| Spanish (Panama) | Búho Moteado |
| Spanish (Paraguay) | Lechuza estriada |
| Spanish (Peru) | Búho Café |
| Spanish (Spain) | Cárabo café |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Lechuza Chillona |
| Swedish | brunstrimmig uggla |
| Turkish | Benekli Alaca Baykuş |
| Ukrainian | Сова-лісовик бура |
Revision Notes
Nicholas D. Sly standardized the content with Clements taxonomy. Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structure page. Leo Gilman copyedited the account.
Strix virgata (Cassin, 1849)
PROTONYM:
Syrnium virgatum
Cassin, 1849. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 4(1848), p.124.
TYPE LOCALITY:
South America; restricted to Bogota, by Berlepsch, Nov. Zool., 15, 1908, p. 288.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
Full content is available exclusively to Birds of the World subscribers. Sign in Learn more
Introduction
The Mottled Owl is a common forest owl throughout much of Central and South America. It is a midsized owl that lacks ear tufts and is brown above and whitish below with dark streaking, dark eyes, a yellow bill. Other owls in the genus Strix are all larger than Mottled Owl. The can be found in many different forest types from dry thornscrub to wet tropical evergreen forest, and reside from sea level upslope to over 2,000 meters. Mottled Owls can be found at night by their distinctive deep, popping hoot calls given in series.
Subspecies
EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)
Mottled Owl (Mottled) Strix virgata [virgata Group]
Available illustrations of subspecies in this group
Distribution
Western Mexico (Southern Sonora to Guerrero and Guanajuato to Morelos).
Strix virgata squamulata (Bonaparte, 1850)
PROTONYM:
Syrnium squamulatum
Bonaparte, 1850. Conspectus generum avium 1, p.53.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Mexico; restricted to Tehuantepec City, Oaxaca, by Kelso, 1933.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- squamulata / squamulatum / squamulatus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
Distribution
Northeastern Mexico (Southern Nuevo León and Tamaulipas).
Strix virgata tamaulipensis Phillips, 1911
PROTONYM:
Strix virgata tamaulipensis
Phillips, 1911. The Auk 28, p.76,77.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Rio Martinez, Tamaulipas.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- tamaulipensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
Distribution
Eastern and southern Mexico (Veracruz and Oaxaca) to western Panama.
Strix virgata centralis (Griscom, 1929)
PROTONYM:
Ciccaba virgata centralis
Griscom, 1929. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 69, p.159.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Chivela, Oaxaca.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- centralis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
Distribution
Eastern Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, northwestern and northern Venezuela and Trinidad.
Strix virgata virgata (Cassin, 1849)
PROTONYM:
Syrnium virgatum
Cassin, 1849. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 4(1848), p.124.
TYPE LOCALITY:
South America; restricted to Bogota, by Berlepsch, Nov. Zool., 15, 1908, p. 288.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)
Mottled Owl (Amazonian) Strix virgata superciliaris/macconnelli
Distribution
Southern and southeastern Venezuela and the Guianas.
Strix virgata macconnelli (Chubb, 1916)
PROTONYM:
Ciccaba superciliaris macconnelli
Chubb, 1916. The birds of British Guiana 1, p.290.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Ituribisi River, British Guiana.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- macconnelli
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
Strix virgata superciliaris (Pelzeln, 1863)
PROTONYM:
Syrnium superciliare
Pelzeln, 1863. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 13, p.1125.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Brazil, i.e., Villa Bella de Matto Grosso on the Rio Guaporé cf. Hellmayr, Abh. K. Bay. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 26, 1912, p. 78.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- superciliare / superciliaris
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)
Mottled Owl (Atlantic Forest) Strix virgata borelliana Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (Misiones).
Strix virgata borelliana (Bertoni, 1901)
PROTONYM:
Syrnium Borellianum
Bertoni, 1901. Aves Nuevas del Paraguay, p.176.
TYPE LOCALITY:
Puerto Bertoni, Alto ParanaY Paraguay.
SOURCE:
Avibase, 2024
Definitions
- STRIX
- virgata
- borelli / borelliana / borellianum / borellianus / borellii
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, misspellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
- Year-round
- Migration
- Breeding
- Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Mottled Owl
