Birdwatchers hiking into a remote area of the Peruvian cloud forest were treated this fall to the sight of one of the rarest birds in the world, the Peruvian Long-whiskered Owlet. Birding groups observed the tiny creature multiple times between Sept. 21 and Nov. 8, according to staff at the Abra Patricia Reserve in northern Peru.
The five-inch-tall owl's scientific name is Xenoglaux loweryi, which means "strange owl."
The owlet was only discovered in 1976, and for 26 years there were no confirmed sightings at all. But eco-tourist birding groups from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, Costa Rica, and Sweden saw the owlet near the Owlet Ecolodge at the Abra Patricia Reserve multiple times. Reserve rangers discovered a new Owlet territory in July.
The species' habitat has been protected there by American Bird Conservancy and the Peruvian conservation organization AsociaciĆ³n Ecosistemas Andinos.
"We are now starting to understand more about its habits and hopefully in the future more people will be able to see this, one of the ultimate birds for any birder," Sara Lara, International Programs Director for American Bird Conservancy, said in a release.
Seeing the owlets isn't a given. To protect the owlets' habitat and keep them from being disturbed, only six birders at a time are allowed in, accompanied by reserve rangers at all times. If owlets do not respond to taped playback of an owl calling after two attempts, visitors are moved on to a different territory.
The Long-whiskered Owlet is ranked as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria. Its range is believed to be just 73 square miles. High rates of deforestation in the area threaten its remaining habitat.
By Elizabeth Weise Science Fair
