# Puerto Rican Owl

Scientific name: Gymnasio nudipes

Bird group: [owl](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/owl)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/184/Puerto-Rican-Owl

## Identification

The Puerto Rican owl (Gymnasio nudipes) or múcaro (Spanish via Taino), formerly known as the Puerto Rican screech owl, is a nocturnal endemic owl of the archipelago of Puerto Rico. It is the only species placed in the genus Gymnasio of the family Strigidae. The subspecies G. n. newtoni, which was endemic to the Virgin Islands, was locally referred to as the cuckoo bird.
The Puerto Rican owl is a small owl possessing a brown upperside, a light-brown to white underside, white brown lines and white eyebrows. Sexual dimorphism is minor in this species with females being slightly larger than males. It is usually 20 centimetres (7.9 in) to 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length with a wingspan of 154 centimetres (61 in) to 171 centimetres (67 in) for both sexes, and weighs about 103 grams (3.6 oz) to 154 grams (5.4 oz).[12]


## Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican Owl is endemic to Puerto Rico and the 
Virgin Islands (Oberle 2018), but 
recent playback surveys using 
acoustic recorders in the Virgin 
Islands and in Vieques elicited 
no response (Gemmill 2015), 
suggesting that this species has 
been extirpated or is extremely 
rare on those islands. The 
species occurs in all forest types 
at all elevations from wet forests 
in the mountains to dry forests in 
coastal areas (Raffaele and others 
1998), woodlots, forest edges, 
and tree-filled gardens (Oberle 2018). The owl occurs in both 
small and large forest fragments 
(Pardieck and others 1996). The 
atlas fieldwork yielded a total of 
364 records within 284 hexagons 
or 59 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 284 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
1 percent (4) of the hexagons, 
probable in 31 percent (89), and 
possible in 67 percent (190), 
while this species was observed 
in an additional hexagon but 
without evidence of breeding 
(see map). Puerto Rican Owl distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.      175Puerto Rican Owl/Mucarito de Puerto Rico

## Breeding

The Puerto Rican Owl nests in cavities in large hardwood 
trees and palms from April to 
June, according to previously 
published reports (Raffaele and 
others 1998). Atlas findings 
indicate breeding activity for 
this species occurs throughout 
the year, but increases from 
December to July and peaks 
in June (see chart). Results 
confirm that this species breeds 
in all ecological life zones, but it is mostly associated with the 
subtropical moist and subtropical 
wet forest life zones (63 and 
28 percent of the hexagons, 
respectively) (see table 
and map).

## Conservation

Population trends for the Puerto Rican Owl are stable in Puerto 
Rico, but the subspecies 
(M.fin.finewtoni) is apparently 
extinct in the Virgin Islands 
and Vieques (Thorstrom and Gallardo 2017). Globally, it 
is listed as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016), and locally, 
this species is not listed in any 
of the threatened categories of 
PRDNER or USFWS. In Puerto 
Rico, the Puerto Rican Owl 
has a protected habitat in land 
of 11 percent or 729 km2 of the total area covered by the 
hexagons where evidence of 
breeding was found for this 
species (6770 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_184_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_184_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.