Vol. 71 (2026)

The Stygian Owl (Asio stygius): a shadow of towns and cities in northeastern Argentina

Abstract

In Argentina, the Stygian Owl (Asio stygius) has been considered a very rare and poorly known species. Based on a compilation of records and fieldwork, we found that its distribution in northeastern Argentina is broader than previously thought. However, its abundance varies among regions: in Corrientes and the Chaco ecoregion the species appears to be naturally rare, whereas most records come from Misiones province. Within this province, records are concentrated in urban areas and are scarce in well-preserved forests, suggesting that the species may benefit from the conversion of forest into urban areas, where resources are abundant and competition is low, since its diet would consist of birds adapted to highly modified environments. Nevertheless, in urban areas the species may suffer substantial human-caused mortality (12 compilated cases), as people kill it mainly because of beliefs that associate owls with bad omens. Our results suggest that the “Vulnerable” category proposed for Argentina should be reviewed in light of the information we report in this work.

References

How to cite

Alejandro Bodrati, Nestor Fariña, Dante G. Moresco, Facundo G. Di Sallo (2026). The Stygian Owl (Asio stygius): a shadow of towns and cities in northeastern Argentina. Nuestras Aves, Vol. 71 (2026). https://doi.org/10.56178/na.v71i.1215

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License: CC BY-NC 4.0