The owls of Uruguay

Abstract

Only ten owl species and two more subspecies are known to live in Uruguay. Knowledge of actual populations of all species is extremely limited as only food of some species has been studied. It is important to carry out more studies on owls and their habitats, in order to understand how they tolerate numerous changes in the environment. The National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIA) has started in 2014 an interesting experiment by putting up nest boxes for the owls. Preliminary results indicate that at least American barn owl (Tyto furcata) and tropical screech owl (Megascops choliba uruguaiensis) have started to accept the boxes for breeding and roosting. It is awaited that INIA will soon publish some photos and more detailed results on this experiment.