Sobre un individuo de Alilicucú Común (Megascops choliba) con anomalía en la coloración del iris en Salta, Argentina

Giovanni I. Wioneczak; Felipe Aguilar; Filippo Riffaldi; Paz Crespo; Mora Cangialossi; Alejo Patrón; Emerson Ángel Jr.; Marcelo J. Wioneczak

doi:10.56178/na.v71i.1213

Novel Records Published 22 October 2026 https://doi.org/10.56178/na.v71i.1213

About an individual of the Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) with an anomaly in iris coloration in Salta, Argentina

Anomaly Argentina iris coloration Megascops choliba Salta Tropical Screech Owl

Giovanni I. Wioneczak Urquiza 3709, Posadas (3300), Misiones, Argentina

Felipe Aguilar Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Filippo Riffaldi Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Paz Crespo Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Mora Cangialossi Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Alejo Patrón Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Emerson Ángel Jr. Fundación PAYDA, Pajareritos Argentinos y de América

Marcelo J. Wioneczak Urquiza 3709, Posadas (3300), Misiones, Argentina

Abstract

The Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba) is a medium-sized screech-owl with a wide distribution that occupies a broad variety of habitats. It is polychromatic, with gray, brown, rufous, and intermediate morphs. Its iris is light yellow, pale yellow, or golden yellow. To date, no individuals in Argentina with an iris coloration other than the yellow described in the literature have been formally reported. Here we report the first documented record of a Tropical Screech-Owl with anomalous iris coloration, from Salta Province, Argentina.

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References

Bodrati A, Juncosa Polzella A, Di Sallo FG (2023) El Alilicucú Ribereño (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) en la provincia de Corrientes, Argentina. Nuestras Aves 68: 55-60. https://doi.org/10.56178/na.vi68.997
De la Peña MR (2025) Aves Argentinas: Descripción, comportamiento, reproducción y distribución (Actualización). Tomo 7 Cathartidae, Pandionidae, Accipitridae, Tytonidae, Strigidae, Trogonidae, Alcedinidae, Momotidae, Galbulidae, Bucconidae, Ramphastidae, Picidae, Cariamidae, Falconidae, Psittacidae, Thamnophilidae, Melanopareiidae, Conopophacidae, Grallariidae, Rhinocryptidae, Formicariidae. Comunicaciones del Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales “Florentino Ameghino” (Nueva Serie), Santa Fe
Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020a) Black-capped Screech-Owl (Megascops atricapilla), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bkcsco1.01
Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020b) Long-tufted Screech-Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.lotsco1.01
Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020c) Montane Forest Screech-Owl (Megascops hoyi), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.mofsco1.01
König C & Weick F (2010) Owls of the world. A&C Black, London
Krabbe NK (2017) A new species of Megascops (Strigidae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, with notes on voices of New World screech-owls. Ornitología Colombiana 16: eA08
López-Lanús B (2022) Guía Audiornis de las aves de Argentina, fotos y sonidos; identificación por características contrapuestas y marcas sobre imágenes. Quinta edición. Audiornis Producciones, Buenos Aires
Meller DA (2017) Aves da Região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Tenondé, São Miguel das Missões
Narosky T & Blendinger PG (2024) Guía de campo: Aves del Noroeste Argentino: Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán y Catamarca. 1a ed. Ecoval Editorial, Unquillo
Narosky T & Yzurieta D (2010) Guía para la identificación de las aves de Argentina y Uruguay. Edición Total. Vázquez-Mazzini Editores, Buenos Aires
Ong G (2020) Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, Schulenberg TS (ed). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.trsowl.01
Pagano LG, Bodrati A, Fariña N, Di Sallo FG, Wioneczak MJ, Pradier LS, Krauczuk ER, Krause LO & Cockle KL (2021) Distribución e historia natural del alilicucú orejudo o ribereño (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) en Argentina. Hornero 36: 51-64. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v36i2.370
Passarotto A, Cruz-Miralles Á, Avilés JM (2020) Iris yellowness relates to age and individual quality in two owl species. Journal of Raptor Research 54: 233–244. https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016-54.3.233
Pearman M, Areta JI (2020) Birds of Argentina and the South-west Atlantic. Helm, London
Ridgely RS, Gwynne JA, Tudor G, & Argel M (2015) Aves do Brasil. Vol 2. Mata Atlântica do Sudeste. Editora Horizonte, São Paulo
Rodríguez Mata J, Erize F, Rumboll M (2006) Aves de Sudamérica (No Passeriformes). Letemendia, Buenos Aires
Sick H (1997) Ornitologia Brasileira. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro
WikiAves (2025) Corujinha-do-Mato (Megascops choliba). https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/corujinha-do-mato Wiki Aves - A Enciclopédia das Aves do Brasil. Accedido el 6/4/2025
Winkler DW, Billerman SM & Lovette IJ (2020) Owls (Strigidae), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, Billerman SM, Keeney BK, Rodewald PG, Schulenberg TS (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.strigi1.01

How to cite

Giovanni I. Wioneczak, Felipe Aguilar, Filippo Riffaldi, Paz Crespo, Mora Cangialossi, Alejo Patrón, Emerson Ángel Jr., Marcelo J. Wioneczak (2026). About an individual of the Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) with an anomaly in iris coloration in Salta, Argentina. Nuestras Aves, Vol. 71 (2026). https://doi.org/10.56178/na.v71i.1213

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[1] Bodrati A, Juncosa Polzella A, Di Sallo FG (2023) El Alilicucú Ribereño (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) en la provincia de Corrientes, Argentina. Nuestras Aves 68: 55-60. https://doi.org/10.56178/na.vi68.997

[2] De la Peña MR (2025) Aves Argentinas: Descripción, comportamiento, reproducción y distribución (Actualización). Tomo 7 Cathartidae, Pandionidae, Accipitridae, Tytonidae, Strigidae, Trogonidae, Alcedinidae, Momotidae, Galbulidae, Bucconidae, Ramphastidae, Picidae, Cariamidae, Falconidae, Psittacidae, Thamnophilidae, Melanopareiidae, Conopophacidae, Grallariidae, Rhinocryptidae, Formicariidae. Comunicaciones del Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales “Florentino Ameghino” (Nueva Serie), Santa Fe

[3] Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020a) Black-capped Screech-Owl (Megascops atricapilla), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bkcsco1.01

[4] Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020b) Long-tufted Screech-Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.lotsco1.01

[5] Holt DW, Berkley R, Deppe C, Enríquez PL, Petersen JL, Rangel Salazar JL, Segars KP, Wood KL & Marks JS (2020c) Montane Forest Screech-Owl (Megascops hoyi), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie JD, de Juana E (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.mofsco1.01

[6] König C & Weick F (2010) Owls of the world. A&C Black, London

[7] Krabbe NK (2017) A new species of Megascops (Strigidae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, with notes on voices of New World screech-owls. Ornitología Colombiana 16: eA08

[8] López-Lanús B (2022) Guía Audiornis de las aves de Argentina, fotos y sonidos; identificación por características contrapuestas y marcas sobre imágenes. Quinta edición. Audiornis Producciones, Buenos Aires

[9] Meller DA (2017) Aves da Região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Tenondé, São Miguel das Missões

[10] Narosky T & Blendinger PG (2024) Guía de campo: Aves del Noroeste Argentino: Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán y Catamarca. 1a ed. Ecoval Editorial, Unquillo

[11] Narosky T & Yzurieta D (2010) Guía para la identificación de las aves de Argentina y Uruguay. Edición Total. Vázquez-Mazzini Editores, Buenos Aires

[12] Ong G (2020) Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, Schulenberg TS (ed). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.trsowl.01

[13] Pagano LG, Bodrati A, Fariña N, Di Sallo FG, Wioneczak MJ, Pradier LS, Krauczuk ER, Krause LO & Cockle KL (2021) Distribución e historia natural del alilicucú orejudo o ribereño (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) en Argentina. Hornero 36: 51-64. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v36i2.370

[14] Passarotto A, Cruz-Miralles Á, Avilés JM (2020) Iris yellowness relates to age and individual quality in two owl species. Journal of Raptor Research 54: 233–244. https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016-54.3.233

[15] Pearman M, Areta JI (2020) Birds of Argentina and the South-west Atlantic. Helm, London

[16] Ridgely RS, Gwynne JA, Tudor G, & Argel M (2015) Aves do Brasil. Vol 2. Mata Atlântica do Sudeste. Editora Horizonte, São Paulo

[17] Rodríguez Mata J, Erize F, Rumboll M (2006) Aves de Sudamérica (No Passeriformes). Letemendia, Buenos Aires

[18] Sick H (1997) Ornitologia Brasileira. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro

[19] WikiAves (2025) Corujinha-do-Mato (Megascops choliba). https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/corujinha-do-mato Wiki Aves - A Enciclopédia das Aves do Brasil. Accedido el 6/4/2025

[20] Winkler DW, Billerman SM & Lovette IJ (2020) Owls (Strigidae), version 1.0. En: Birds of the World, Billerman SM, Keeney BK, Rodewald PG, Schulenberg TS (eds). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.strigi1.01