MEXICAN STRIPED OWL
(Asio clamator)

This medium sized owl can be found in S Mexico through South America east of Andes to N Argentina and Uruguay apart from Amazon basin. Also some Caribbean Islands.

The Striped Owl generally prefers open country with scattered thickets and may be found at airports, in agricultural fields (rice and other), pastures, marshes and savanna. It can also be very diverse in its habitat and may be found in tropical forests, forest edges, grassy clearings, riparian woodlands and woodland patches. It has a range of habitats that stretches from sea level to 5000 feet in elevation. This is a resident owl and is not known to make any large movements.

The Striped Owl bears a great resemblance to the Long-eared and Short-eared Owls in all structural characteristics, and is indeed a close relative of both.
It is believed to be primarily a small mammal hunter, taking mainly mice and rats.

Not globally threatened, but generally rare or patchily distributed. Range is possibly expanding as it moves into deforested areas.