Spectacled Owl Facts. The spectacled owl, from Mexico, Central and South America, has striking black, white and yellow colored plumage. These owls live near to water in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Owl-like birds, like Berruornis and Ogygoptynx, lived 60 million years ago.Owls are one of the most ancient types of bird, along with chickens, turkeys, and pheasants. They prefer to hunt from a perch, using their hearing to detect movement. It can grow up to a length of 43 to 48 centimeters and weighs around 590 to 950 grams. This species has an estimated population of 500,000-4,999,999 individuals, and a conservation rating of Least Concern. Young spectacled owls (known as owlets) are mostly white with a dark face mask.They look so different from the adults they were once thought to be a separate species. The Spectacled Owl has a very large range of more than 18,000,000 square kilometers. It’s an efficient hunter, feeding on mammals, insects, and other birds. Their diet consists of mammals up to the size of opossums, bats, smaller birds and occasionally insects. Uncommon but unmistakable. Spectacled owls have excellent night vision with excessive rod cells in their retina to see maximum … The spectacled owl roosts by day in a branch or tree hole. They are the largest New World tropical owl species. Behavior: As with most owls, the Spectacled owl is nocturnal but may occasionally hunt during the day. Spectacled owls are the largest tropical owl species. They are the largest of the tropical owls. The Spectacled Owl is 46 cm long and weighs 850 g. It is unmistakable with brown upperparts, head and upper breast, white facial markings and buff underparts. The rest of their plumage is dark brown except for a creamy coloured breast and abdomen. Its fringed feathers make little to no sound during flight so the owl can swoop in on prey without detection and carry it off in its sharp talons. They weigh approximately 1.5-2 pounds (0.68-0.91 kg), with the female being larger than the male. At night, it pinpoints prey with its excellent hearing in the dark forest. They are resident owl's and are not known to make any large movements. Key Facts. Spectacled owls roost in dense foliage during the day. Like most owls, the spectacled owl is active mostly at night. [10] The great horned owl can curl its talons with a force of about 300 pounds per square inch, which is about the same strength as the strongest human bite. Donate See Experiences . Very large spectacular owl of humid evergreen forest in tropical lowlands and foothills. They are characterised by “spectacles” made of white feathers around their eyes and throat. They are […] Female owls are heavier and larger than the males. The spectacled owl can be found near the Family Farm in the Exploration Zone. The Spectacled Owl is a tropical bird found in Mexico, Central America, Trinidad and Tobago and the northern two-thirds of South America. It has broken circles of white around its yellow glaring eyes. Fascinating Facts . Information about the classification of perspicillata. Size: Spectacled owls are medium to large-sized owls and stand 17-19 inches (43-48 cm) in height. It occurs in a variety of tropical forest habitats as well as savannah and riparian zones in dry areas from southern Mexico south to northern Peru, the Amazon basin, and southern Brazil. The juvenile is even more distinctive than the adult, being completely white apart from a chocolate brown facial disc. Family: Often roosts at low to middle levels, usually well hidden in shady spots, and flushes easily. At night, favors open forest canopy and forest edge, but calling birds can be well hidden in foliage. The eyes are yellow and the beak is pale. Spectacled Owl's are generally nocturnal and roost singly during the day in trees with dense foliage along a stream. In captivity, spectacled owls have a lifespan of 25 years. It has mostly black or dark brown wings with a black head and yellow chest. The bird reaches its maturity after 5 years. The breeding season of these owls falls between November and May. Spectacled owls are the largest and most dominant owls in their native tropical forests. Like other owl species, they cannot digest bones, beaks, feathers, fur and claws; these materials are regurgitated several hours after eating in the form of “owl pellets”.