Species Profile: Long-whiskered Owlet

Elusive Owl of the Peruvian Andes

Long-whiskered Owlet. Photo: ECOAN

First discovered in 1976 by John O’Neill and Gary Graves of Louisiana State University, the Long-whiskered owlet remains an enigma. Soon after its discovery, it disappeared, only to be rediscovered at a second site in 1978. Then it vanished again, only to be relocated near its original site in 2002.

This tiny owl is so obviously unique that its discoverers immediately placed it in its own genus, Xenoglaux, “strange owl,” so named because its long facial whiskers and intense amber eyes gave the tiny bird a peculiar expression.

This newly-discovered species differed from other similar owl genera by its bare legs and feet, lack of ear tufts, and especially by the elongated facial ruff and long bristles that cover the base of the bill. These facial bristles also cover the owl’s cere and extend upwards between the eyes.

The long-whiskered owlet has warm brown upperparts, with darker barring that extends to the paler belly and undertail, giving it a “salt-and-pepper” look. It also has prominent yellowish-white eyebrows. Sexual dimorphism is apparently slight. As in other small owls, the females are probably somewhat larger than the males.

The long-whiskered owlet was first discovered in the eastern Andes of northern Peru, adjacent to the Alto Mayo Protected Forest, east of the Abra Patricia pass. Two specimens were also collected in similar habitat 35 miles to the west in the Cordillera de Colán in 1978, but the species has not been recorded there since. These areas are characterized by wet elfin forest, with trees clothed in epiphytes and orchids. Bamboo thickets, palms, tree ferns, and taller tracts of cloud forest are also scattered throughout the area.

While the long-whiskered owlet is still poorly known, new data is being gathered by researchers. In 2002, an expedition led by Dan Lane of Louisiana State University located the species in the Alto Mayo region, and managed to record its call for the first time.

The owl’s favored habitat has been threatened by timber harvesting and agriculture. Settlement in the area has also been encouraged by the construction and improvement of a major road through Alto Mayo.

Fortunately, American Bird Conservancy and its partner, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, have acquired land to establish a private reserve and field station. This Alliance for Zero Extinction site shelters other endangered species such as the ochre-fronted antpitta and royal sunangel.