New owl species found in Peru’s Andes mountains
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Ornithologists in Peru and Argentina identified a new species of horned owl living in a small area of high-elevation grassland and cloud forest in northern Peru.
The owl, named Bubo jalca, inhabits the jalca, a unique habitat within the Huancabamba Depression of the Andes Mountains. Researchers distinguished Bubo jalca from its closest relative, Bubo nigrescens, through differences in its distinct call, a rapid “jé-cu!” sound, analyzed using spectrograms and oscillograms.
The discovery stems from a female specimen collected in 1980 and held at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, along with corresponding sound recordings archived at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. While physically similar to B. nigrescens, the unique vocalization confirmed Bubo jalca as a separate species. Scientists express concern for the owl’s survival, noting its limited range is threatened by expanding pine plantations encroaching on the jalca grassland and deforestation of nearby cloud forest.
The researchers emphasize that the owl’s persistence depends on preserving both habitats.
