The Scariest Stare On Earth?

BILL NAYLOR introduces the spectacled owl, a beautiful if ferocious predator from the tropical regions of the New World.

OUT of the 55 or so species of owl in South America, the spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) is one of the best known, and is exhibited in many of the world’s bird collections, zoos and falconry centres. As early as the 16th century, explorers to tropical South America wrote about the owl with a dark mask that frequented the forest and how its large eyes would stare you out.

Its eyes are no bigger than similar sized owls, but being set in a dark chocolate-brown facial mask, the bright-orange eyes (lemon-coloured in some subspecies) appear larger than they are. These owls see well in daylight and do not squint in sunlight like some other owls do. Like the other species of Pulsatrix, the contour feathers give the bird a plump and stocky appearance. Its two-tone plumage disrupts the outline of its body shape and, while it is the largest of the Neotropical owls at 51cm (20in) in length, its attractive colouring helps it to blend in with the forest foliage surprisingly well. Males are smaller than females.

The spectacled owl has a habit of perching under overhanging large-leafed plants, probably to avoid getting soaked in the wet season when the rain is relentless. The feathers on the face are quite long. Its bushy white eyebrows frame the dark masked facial area from which it gets the name spectacled owl. The lores are also white and the large horn-coloured beak develops a greenish tinge as the bird matures. Although largely hidden by heavy feathering, like most South American owls, the talons are large and so, in captivity, spectacled owls require appropriately sized perches.