Spectacled Owl
Photo © Luis G Restrepo
Photo © Luis G Restrepo — CC BY 4.0 — Source: iNaturalist photo #13977911The spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) also called a Murucututu, is a large tropical owl native to the neotropics. It is a resident breeder in forests from southern Mexico and Trinidad, through Central America, south to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina. There are six subspecies. One is occasionally treated as a separate species called the short-browed or brown-spectacled owl but the consensus is that it is still merely a race until more detailed analysis can be done. == Distribution and habitat == The spectacled owl is found in Mexico, Central America (Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), Trinidad and Tobago, and South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina). The spectacled owl is primarily a bird of tropical rainforests, being found mostly in areas where dense, old-growth forest is profuse. However, it may enter secondary habitats, such as forest edges, especially while hunting. On occasion, they have been found in dry forests, treed savanna plains, plantations, and semi-open areas with trees. In areas such as Costa Rica, they may inhabit subtropical montane cloud forests of up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft), although are generally associated with lowland forests. == Description ==…
Corcovado National Park
Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
+444 birds+48 mammals
Where the Osa Peninsula juts into the Pacific, rainforest descends almost to the tide line, and Corcovado National Park protects one of Central America's most intact…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKManuel Antonio National Park
Quepos, Costa Rica
+426 birds+22 mammals
Where tropical rainforest descends steeply to a rocky Pacific coastline, Manuel Antonio National Park distills Central American biodiversity into one of Costa Rica's most compressed and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKArenal Volcano National Park
Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica
+551 birds+21 mammals
Straddling the border between Alajuela and Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica, this national park rises dramatically around one of Central America's most active volcanic systems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTortuguero National Park
Roxana, Costa Rica
+420 birds+23 mammals
Canals and lagoons thread through a labyrinth of lowland rainforest where the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica meets the wetland frontier. This is terrain shaped by…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBraulio Carrillo National Park
Las Horquetas, Costa Rica
+547 birds+18 mammals
Where the Caribbean slope descends from the central volcanic cordillera toward the humid lowlands of Heredia, Braulio Carrillo National Park preserves one of Costa Rica's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPiedras Blancas National Park
Golfito, Costa Rica
+386 birds+24 mammals
Where the Golfo Dulce meets the southwestern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Piedras Blancas National Park protects a dramatic transition zone where lowland rainforest descends toward…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSanta Rosa National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+359 birds+30 mammals
Where Pacific-facing slopes descend from volcanic uplands toward the Guanacaste lowlands, Santa Rosa National Park unfolds across a mosaic of tropical dry forest, gallery woodland, and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGuanacaste National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+461 birds+17 mammals
Where the Pacific slopes of northwestern Costa Rica rise toward the Continental Divide, dry tropical forest gives way to cloud-laden peaks and misty ridges—a landscape that…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYasuní National Park
Aguarico, Ecuador
+601 birds+43 mammals
Where the western Amazon basin converges with Ecuador's Orellana Province, lowland rainforest reaches toward the horizon in an unbroken canopy of staggering botanical density. Yasuní National…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSangay National Park
Cebadas, Ecuador
+320 birds+10 mammals
High in Ecuador's Andean spine, where the Western Cordillera rises to touch perpetual snow, a landscape of volcanic drama and ecological intensity unfolds across Sangay National…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCerros de Amotape National Park
District of San Jacinto, Ecuador
+246 birds+1 mammals
Arid mountains rise abruptly from Peru's northwestern frontier, their slopes clothed in xerophytic scrubland and seasonal deciduous forest that transforms these Andean foothills into one of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Utría National Park
Alto Baudó (Pie de Pató), Colombia
+372 birds+11 mammals
Where the Chocó's coastal mountains plunge toward the Pacific, Utría National Park preserves one of Colombia's most biodiverse and least-visited wilderness expanses. Sprawling across 1,287 square…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural la Paya National Park
Puerto Leguízamo, Colombia
+262 birds+4 mammals
Where the Amazon's western reaches fold into the Andes foothills, La Paya National Park sprawls across more than 8,500 square kilometers of pristine Amazonian rainforest in…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Río Puré National Park
La Pedrera, Colombia
+40 birds+1 mammals
Where the Río Puré carves through northwestern Amazonia on the Colombia–Peru border, a landscape of flooded forests, terra firme ridges, and whitewater tributaries protects nearly 14,600…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Serranía de los Yariguíes National Park
El Carmen de Chucurí, Colombia
+320 birds+3 mammals
Where the northern cordilleras of Colombia rise toward cloud forest, the Serranía de los Yariguíes unfolds across nearly 1,820 square kilometers of some of the most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Farallones de Cali National Park
Buenaventura, Colombia
+733 birds+27 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal plain meets the western slopes of the Andes, Farallones de Cali National Park sprawls across nearly 3,500 square kilometers of dramatic topography…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park
Buenaventura, Colombia
+308 birds+15 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal rainforest descends to mangrove estuaries and rocky headlands, Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park unfolds across nearly 1,000 square kilometres of Colombia's Valle…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Sumapaz National Park
Cubarral, Colombia
+368 birds+1 mammals
Where the Andes descend toward the Amazon basin, the high páramo grasslands of Sumapaz National Park sprawl across more than five thousand square kilometers of Meta…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEl Tamá National Park
Toledo, Colombia
+435 birds
Where the Andes descend toward the Caribbean coastal lowlands of northern Colombia, El Tamá National Park sprawls across nearly 3,800 square kilometres of montane forest, cloud…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Sierra de la Macarena National Park
Vista Hermosa, Colombia
+566 birds+15 mammals
Across nearly 20,000 square kilometres of Colombia's Meta Department, the terrain rises from lowland savanna into Andean foothills through a mosaic of gallery forests, palm-fringed wetlands,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAmacayacu National Park
Leticia, Colombia
+567 birds+25 mammals
Where the Rio Amazonas curves through the tri-border region where Colombia, Peru, and Brazil converge, Amacayacu National Park sprawls across more than 5,250 square kilometres of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChapada dos Guimarães National Park
Brazil
+450 birds+1 mammals
Where weathered sandstone plateaus rise above the cerrado grasslands of central Brazil, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park protects 624 square kilometres of ecological transition zone that…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAmazônia National Park
Brazil
+439 birds+6 mammals
Where the Rio Amazonas and its tributaries weave through the heart of Pará state, a vast tapestry of rainforest stretches across 23,611 square kilometers of unbroken…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMapinguari National Park
Brazil
+354 birds
Vast tracts of western Amazonian rainforest blanket the remote terrain of this 56,827 square kilometre national park in Amazonas state, where seasonal rivers wind through dense…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKJaú National Park
Brazil
+354 birds+3 mammals
Vast floodplain forests and blackwater rivers define this remote corner of western Amazonas, where the Rio Negro and its tributaries have carved an intricate mosaic of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAnavilhanas National Park
Brazil
+468 birds+8 mammals
Across the Rio Negro in central Amazonas, an archipelago of over a thousand islands rises from the world's largest rainforest river system, creating a labyrinth of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCampos Amazónicos National Park
Amazonas, Brazil
+434 birds+7 mammals
Sprawling across the southwestern Amazon basin in Amazonas state, this 27,263-square-kilometre national park encompasses some of the region's most pristine lowland rainforest, where terra firme forest…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSerra do Divisor National Park
Brazil
+448 birds+10 mammals
Where the western Amazon meets the Andes foothills, Serra do Divisor National Park sprawls across one of South America's most biodiverse and least accessible frontiers. Spanning…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYanachaga–chemillén National Park
Palcazu, Peru
+639 birds+6 mammals
Where the eastern slopes of Peru's central cordillera plunge into cloud forest, Yanachaga–Chemillén National Park protects nearly three thousand square kilometres of montane wilderness that few…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKManu National Park
Manu, Peru
+892 birds+26 mammals
Across the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes, tropical rainforest descends into the Amazon basin with a complexity that few terrestrial ecosystems match. Manu National Park…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra del Divisor National Park
Alto Tapiche, Peru
+298 birds+2 mammals
Where the western Amazon meets the Andes foothills, nearly 41,000 square kilometres of pristine rainforest rise across Peru's Alto Tapiche region in a landscape of extraordinary…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBahuaja Sonene National Park
San Pedro de Putina Punco, Peru
+602 birds+8 mammals
Where the Madre de Dios and Heath rivers converge in southeastern Peru rises one of South America's most biodiverse wilderness regions: a vast protected realm of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTingo Maria National Park
Mariano Dámaso Beraún, Peru
+423 birds
Where the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes descend toward the Amazon basin, the landscape fractures into a maze of limestone ridges, humid gorges, and cloud-wrapped…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCordillera Azul National Park
Pampa Hermosa, Peru
+322 birds+1 mammals
Where the eastern Andes descend into the western Amazon basin, Cordillera Azul National Park sprawls across nearly 38,000 square kilometres of some of Peru's most pristine…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSoberanía National Park
Cristóbal, Panama
+495 birds+34 mammals
Rainforest and riverine woodland blanket the rolling terrain of this 714-square-kilometre national park in Colón Province, where the Caribbean watershed feeds a maze of streams and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChagres National Park
Caimitillo, Panama
+486 birds+19 mammals
Where the Chagres River carves through the humid tropics of central Panama, a vast montane and lowland forest sprawls across more than 2,300 square kilometers, anchoring…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDarién National Park
Tucutí, Panama
+534 birds+13 mammals
Where the spine of Central America crumbles into wetland and rainforest, Darién National Park sprawls across more than 20,000 square kilometres of some of the tropics'…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPortobelo National Park
Portobelo, Panama
+366 birds+9 mammals
Where the Caribbean's turquoise waters meet the Darién's verdant shore, Portobelo National Park sprawls across 570 square kilometers of coastal forest, mangrove wetland, and coral-fringed islands…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKIguazú National Park
Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
+346 birds+15 mammals
Where the Paraná Plateau plunges toward the Atlantic watershed, nearly 800 square kilometers of subtropical rainforest drape across Misiones Province in a landscape carved by millennia…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEl Rey National Park
Municipio de Las Lajitas, Argentina
+317 birds+4 mammals
Where the eastern slopes of the Andes descend into northwestern Argentina's subtropical transition zone, El Rey National Park unfolds across 841 square kilometers of dramatically varied…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCalilegua National Park
Municipio de Calilegua, Argentina
+288 birds+8 mammals
Where the eastern Andean slopes plunge into northwestern Argentina's humid subtropics, nearly 2,645 square kilometers of steep terrain and luxuriant forest compose one of South America's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontes Azules
Candelaria, Mexico
+395 birds+47 mammals
Where jungle-clad limestone plateaus plunge into canyon systems carved by the Usumacinta River, Mexico's most pristine rainforest reserve unfolds across the Lacandón region of Chiapas. Montes…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVETikal National Park
Tikal, Guatemala
+399 birds+16 mammals
Dense rainforest canopy rises above the limestone plateau of Petén, where archaeological wonder and ecological richness merge seamlessly across one of Central America's most biodiverse landscapes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLaguna del Tigre National Park
Petén, Guatemala
+399 birds+29 mammals
Where the Petén lowlands dissolve into wetland and forest, Laguna del Tigre National Park protects one of Guatemala's most ecologically vital landscapes. This sprawling reserve encompasses…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra del Lacandón National Park
Petén, Guatemala
+348 birds+7 mammals
Where the Petén rainforest rises into limestone ridges and deep ravines, Sierra del Lacandón National Park protects one of Central America's most intact tropical wilderness zones.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCarara National Park
Tárcoles, Costa Rica
+397 birds+19 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal plain meets transitional forest, Carara National Park straddles one of Central America's most dynamic ecological boundaries. The park's landscape encompasses lowland deciduous…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPalo Verde National Park
Bagaces, Costa Rica
+318 birds+24 mammals
Dry forest spreads across Palo Verde's low-lying terrain in northwestern Guanacaste, where seasonal rivers and lagoons etch through deciduous woodland that sheds its canopy each winter.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCahuita National Park
Talamanca, Costa Rica
+359 birds+15 mammals
Where the Caribbean shoreline dissolves into mangrove creeks and coral gardens, Cahuita's mosaic of habitats unfolds across the Limón coast. The park's signature feature—a living coral…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRincón de la Vieja National Park
Liberia, Costa Rica
+451 birds+30 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise abruptly from the Guanacaste lowlands, Rincón de la Vieja National Park sprawls across a landscape shaped by geothermal drama and seasonal extremes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park
Orosi, Costa Rica
+503 birds+18 mammals
Where montane cloud forest rises steeply from the Orosi Valley, Tapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park enfolds a landscape of perpetual moisture and emerald complexity.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLa Amistad International Park
Crorina, Costa Rica
+532 birds+20 mammals
Where the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica's Talamanca Mountains rise steeply inland from Limón, the boundary between two nations dissolves into an unbroken expanse of rainforest.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVolcán Tenorio National Park
Guatuso, Costa Rica
+480 birds+12 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise through Costa Rica's northwestern borderlands, Volcán Tenorio National Park sprawls across terrain shaped by ancient lava flows and mineral-rich springs. The park's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMarino Ballena National Park
Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica
+336 birds+8 mammals
Where mangrove forests meet coral-fringed shorelines along Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast, Marino Ballena National Park encompasses a marine and terrestrial mosaic that ranks among Central…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMarino Las Baulas National Park
Santa Cruz, Costa Rica
+246 birds+9 mammals
Where the Pacific meets a mosaic of dry forest and mangrove estuary, this coastal national park protects one of Central America's most dynamic wildlife theatres. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCaño Negro National Wildlife Refuge
Caño Negro District, Costa Rica
+486 birds+16 mammals
Where the San Juan River's seasonal floodplain opens into expansive wetlands, Caño Negro Wildlife Sanctuary sprawls across one of Central America's most productive freshwater ecosystems. This…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYGandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
+394 birds+18 mammals
Where the Caribbean coastal plain surrenders to water-logged forest and mangrove tangles, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Sanctuary shelters one of Costa Rica's most biodiverse lowland wetland ecosystems. The…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBarra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
+462 birds+36 mammals
Where the Caribbean's restless waters meet the Limón Province coastline, Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Sanctuary unfolds across a landscape of extraordinary ecological complexity. This equatorial…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYCurú National Wildlife Refuge
Paquera, Costa Rica
+249 birds+8 mammals
Where the Pacific coast of Puntarenas dissolves into dry deciduous forest and mangrove fringe, Curú Wildlife Sanctuary holds one of Costa Rica's most ecologically vital yet…
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