Owls of Puerto Rico: the complete identification guide

Puerto Rican Owl: the endemic owl that lives everywhere

The Puerto Rican Owl, called Múcaro Común or Mucarito in Spanish, is a small owl, 20–25 cm long and 103–169 g, with females slightly larger. It has a rounded head with no ear tufts, unfeathered legs (hence nudipes, “bare feet”), and two color morphs, brown and rufous, both with white patches at the base of the facial disc. It does not look like the cartoon “eared” owl: it is compact, big-headed, and earth-toned.

It lives in forests and woodlands of every type, including urban ones, from the coast to about 900 meters. It nests in tree cavities from April to June and lays one to three white eggs. It eats mostly large insects such as roaches, crickets, and May beetles, plus anoles, coquí frogs, mice, and small birds. It once lived in the Virgin Islands too, but there are no recent confirmed records outside Puerto Rico.

Short-eared Owl: the savanna owl that flies by day

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), Múcaro Real in Puerto Rico, is about 41 cm long: nearly twice the length of the Puerto Rican Owl. It looks pale buffy, with a streaked chest, black around the eyes, and ear tufts so short they are seldom visible. In flight it shows a black wrist mark and a buff patch in the outer wing; it flies low over grasslands and marshes with loose wingbeats, “like a giant moth,” mostly at dawn and dusk.

In 1911–1912 Alexander Wetmore recorded the local names Múcaro Real, Múcaro de Sabana, Múcaro de Melón, Coruja, and Llorona for this owl, and described it as nearly extinct on the island; he blamed the mongoose, since the owl nests on the ground. Today the DRNA treats it as a resident, but its current population is not well quantified. If you see a large owl hunting over open grassland in daylight, this is the species to consider first.

Barn Owl: the white, heart-shaped face

The Barn Owl, called lechuza, lechuza blanca, or lechuza de los campanarios in Spanish, is a pale owl 33–41 cm long with a white, heart-shaped face and dark eyes. It does not hoot: it gives screams, hisses, grunts, and bill snaps. It hunts at night by flying low over open ground and nests in tree cavities, cliffs, caves, and buildings.

In Puerto Rico it is a recent arrival. Primera Hora reported at least six sightings since 1947, but breeding was not confirmed until August 2015, when a citizen brought an injured chick with a broken leg to the Ranger Corps and rangers found a nest with more chicks and adults. The DRNA announced it as the island's third owl species. That release used the name Tyto alba; our catalog treats it as the American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata), following the taxonomy that separates the American populations.

Owls of the past: what the caves tell us

The Puerto Rican Barn Owl (Tyto cavatica) is an extinct endemic barn owl. Alexander Wetmore described it from leg bones found in a cave on the property of Gervacio Toraño, near Utuado, collected in 1916. It was a small barn owl, related to other West Indian barn owls such as the one on Hispaniola. The same caves held huge numbers of Puerto Rican Owl bones, a sign that the múcaro has been on the island for a long time and that both owls piled up the remains of their prey there.

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) appears in fossils from Puerto Rico and Mona. According to Pregill and Olson (1981), the Puerto Rican bones are quite distinct from other populations and may represent a different species; its disappearance is explained by the loss of dry, open habitat since the end of the Pleistocene. Our catalog lists it as accidental, but we found no published modern record to cite. Any sighting would be exceptional and deserves photos and a report.

How to identify an owl at night in Puerto Rico

Start with place and time. A small owl calling from trees in a yard, coffee farm, or forest is almost always a Puerto Rican Owl. A large, pale owl over grassland, an abandoned structure, or an open field at night points to the Barn Owl. A large, buffy owl hunting low over savanna at dawn or dusk points to the Short-eared Owl. Apparent size is unreliable at night, so compare with something known, such as a post or a branch.

Then listen. The Puerto Rican Owl gives a deep, quavering trill of three to five seconds; the Barn Owl screams and hisses; the Short-eared Owl is usually silent. Not everything calling at night is an owl: the Puerto Rican Nightjar and the nighthawks are nightjars, and coquí frogs and insects dominate the soundscape. If you can, record with your phone and note time, place, and habitat before you decide.

Legal protection: why you cannot keep a múcaro at home

A century ago people commonly kept múcaros in their houses to eat roaches; Wetmore documented the practice in 1912. Today it is illegal. Puerto Rico's Wildlife Act (Law 241-1999) prohibits keeping native or migratory wildlife in captivity without written authorization from the DRNA Secretary, and prohibits taking nests, eggs, or young.

In addition, the Puerto Rican Owl, Short-eared Owl, Burrowing Owl, and Barn Owl are on the federal list of birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which applies in Puerto Rico. If you find an injured owl or a chick on the ground, the right path is to call the DRNA; our injured-bird guide explains the steps.

What is a múcaro?

Múcaro is the Puerto Rican word for owl. On its own it almost always means the Puerto Rican Owl (Gymnasio nudipes), a small 20–25 cm owl, brown or rufous, with no ear tufts and bare legs, found only in Puerto Rico. The Múcaro Real is a different species, the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus).

Are there owls in Puerto Rico?

Yes. The DRNA recognizes three living species: the endemic Puerto Rican Owl, the resident Short-eared Owl, and the Barn Owl, whose first nest was confirmed in 2015. There was also an endemic barn owl, Tyto cavatica, now extinct and known only from cave bones.

Is the Puerto Rican Owl endangered?

No. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern and it occurs across the island, even in urban areas. It still faces deforestation, vehicle strikes, and cat attacks, and it is protected by Puerto Rico's wildlife law and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Is there a Barn Owl in Puerto Rico?

Yes, but it is rare. There were scattered sightings from 1947 on, and in August 2015 the DRNA documented the first nest with chicks. The endemic “Puerto Rican Barn Owl,” Tyto cavatica, is a different species that went extinct and is known only from fossils.

Is there a Great Horned Owl in Puerto Rico?

Our catalog lists the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) with uncertain origin, but it is not among the three species the DRNA recognizes. A large “eared” owl seen in Puerto Rico should be photographed and reported before the identification is assumed.

Is the Puerto Rican Nightjar an owl?

No. The Puerto Rican Nightjar is a nightjar, with a wide mouth and cryptic plumage, and it is also endemic and nocturnal. People mistake it for an owl because it calls at night, but its shape and voice are different.