Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata)
About the Crested Owl
The crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species (monotypic) in the genus Lophostrix. It is a resident bird and occurs in Central America and northern South America. It is a medium-sized owl, easily recognizable with its very long whitish ear tufts and otherwise darker appearance. It inhabits lowland rainforests and prefers old growth in proximity with water. The crested owl is a strictly nocturnal species, but very little is known about its behaviour. The genus of the crested owl is in the family Strigidae as well as the subfamily Striginae and is traditionally recognized as a part of the tribe Strigini along with Strix, Jubula and Pulsatrix. However, recent analysis suggest that Lophostrix could form its own tribe, Pulsatrigini, with Pulsatrix.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 105 recordings for this species: 11 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American KestrelFalco sparveriusrecording
- BananaquitCoereba flaveolarecording
- Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatusrecording
- Barred Forest FalconMicrastur ruficollisrecording
- Bay-headed TanagerTangara gyrolarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.