For example, the Short-eared owl ( Asio flammeus) has "ear tufts" which are not immediately apparent and this is reflected in the fact that it is commonly referred to as both "búho campestre" and "lechuza campestre."Įven more confusing, in certain countries (México, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras), horned-owls (búhos) are sometimes referred to as tecolotes. With some owl species, the distinction is not alway immediately apparent. I think that the use of the word "búho" for certain types of owls is probably related to the fact that the word stems from the Latin word "bubo." Coincidentally, the animal of the genus and species Bubo bubo is "Búho Real" (in Spanish). When you look at the definition of " Lechuza" in the RAE, it seems to be a description of the common barn owl, Tyto alba, or in Spanish, "Lechuza común," a type of owl which consequently is of the un-horned variety. los ojos grandes y colocados en la parte anterior de la cabeza, sobre la cual tiene unas plumas alzadas que figuran orejas. de color mezclado de rojo y negro, calzada de plumas The RAE also makes reference to the fact that the word "búho" refers to owls of the horned variety: Habitualmente designa especies que, a diferencia de los búhos, no tienen plumas alzadas que parecen orejas. Lechuza es el nombre común de varias aves del orden de las estrigiformes. As the breeding season approaches, the birds move back to the vicinity of the chosen nest to roost.Regarding the difference between the two, (if there is a distinction to be made), I believe that Eddy is correct that owls with tufts of feathers which stick up over their heads (sometimes referred to as "horns" or "ears") are sometimes designated as "búhos." Here is a Wikipedia exerpt: Roosting sites include holes in trees, fissures in cliffs, disused buildings, chimneys and haysheds and are often small in comparison to nesting sites. Outside the breeding season, males and females usually roost separately, each one having about three favored sites in which to conceal themselves by day, and which are also visited for short periods during the night. Female home ranges largely coincide with that of their mates.
For males in Scotland this has a radius of about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the nest site and an average size of about 300 hectares. By contrast, in southern Europe and the tropics, the birds seem to be almost exclusively nocturnal, with the few birds that hunt by day being severely mobbed.īarn owls are not particularly territorial but have a home range inside which they forage.
However, in Britain, some birds continue to hunt by day even when mobbed by such birds as magpies, rooks and black-headed gulls, such diurnal activity possibly occurring when the previous night has been wet making hunting difficult. This practice may depend on whether the owl is mobbed by other birds if it emerges in daylight. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands and perhaps elsewhere, it sometimes hunts by day. It often becomes active shortly before dusk and can sometimes be seen during the day when relocating from one roosting site to another. Like most owls, the barn owl is nocturnal, relying on its acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness.
The Owl will then leave its roost, sometimes giving a call (especially in breeding season) The plumage is often ruffled up, and claws and toes are cleaned by nibbling with the beak. An Owl's daily activity begins with preening, stretching, yawning and combing its head with its claws.