There are two families of owls, the larger family of true owls and the smaller barn owl family. The true owl family includes 19 genera, of which one is already extinct. In Costa Rica we have about 19 out of the 180 to 200 species that are found worldwide.
The body of the true owl is endowed with many special abilities such as keen eyesight for short distances, extremely well-developed hearing and soft plumage which enables them to fly almost silently. Because of these abilities, most species are nocturnals. During the day their eyes are sensitive to bright light. Their flight speed is slow compared to other bird species and their flight altitude is also much lower with the exception of longer migrations where they fly at higher altitudes.
The western screech owl can grow up to 9 inches in length and has gray to tan feather color. Their ears are short and taper to a point, the underside of the body is slightly lighter than the top and has dark wide horizontal stripes as well as vertical stripes.
The pacific screech owl lives in the north-western part of the country and weighs about 5-6 ounces. It can be recognized by white spots on the shoulders which form a line. Their song consists of 15 short notes which they produce in rapid rows, short trills or calls.
The tropical screech owl can be observed in three different colors, gray-brown, brown and red-brown. The animals can grow up to 9 inches in size and feed mainly on insects such as grasshoppers and beetles.
The bare-shanked screech owl has a conspicuously large head and a third of its legs are bare of feathers which gives it its name. This makes them a distinctive individual of their species because no other species has a similarly sized unfeathered body part.
The middle american screech owl is characterized by its relatively long tail. Due to its particularly good camouflage, it is rarely seen directly and rather attracts attention with its loud calls.
The great horned owl grows to between 18-25 inches and has a wingspan of about 36-60 inches. This makes it one of the largest owl species in Costa Rica.
The mottled owl has brown feathers spotted with white while the feathers on its underside are white with brown stripes.
Other species that occur are the black-and-white owl, the crested owl, the burrowing owl, the unspotted saw-whet owl and the spectacled owl, as well as the costa rican pygmy owl, the Central American pygmy owl, the ferruginous pygmy owl, the striped owl, the stygian owl, the vermiculated screech owl and the short-eared owl.
On all Costa Rica trips you can theoretically spot true owls but they are especially dense in Jacó, the province of Puntarenas, and in the northern part of the country.
We are your contacts for a successful stay in Costa Rica and look forward to your inquiries: info@costaricainsider.com
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