First report of a magellanic horned owl (Bubo magellanicus) nesting in a building balcony

Abstract

The ability of a species to successfully adapt to urban areas is controlled by certain ecological limiting factors. Many owl species have a negative response to urbanization, while there are others that seem to tolerate, or even thrive, in urban environments. Here, we report a nest of the Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) in a building balcony in a suburban area in the commune of Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile. The nest was found in the first week of August 2018, at first bearing a single egg. After 92 days of monitoring, two nestlings successfully abandoned the nest. The use of human-made structures by the Magellanic Horned Owl had not been previously recorded; consequently, this record evidences new nesting opportunities for this owl in urban areas, revealing a change in its reproductive behavior.