Size: Length; 52cm. Weight; 1250g.

Habitat and distribution: Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Dense tropical rainforest and woodlands.

Age: Up to 35 years.

Breeding: Nest in tree cavities. Lay 2 eggs which are incubated by the female. Chicks fledge at around 6 weeks old.

Diet: Mostly mammals and insects.

• Get their name from the white "spectacles" around their bright yellow eyes.
• 189 species make up the family Strigidae (typical owls, excluding Barn Owls).
• Females are generally larger than males.
• Owls have excellent hearing; their disc–shaped faces are designed to direct the slightest sound to the large ear openings.
• An owl’s neck has twice as many vertebrae as a human’s, which enables them to rotate their heads 270 degrees.
• Their eyes are designed for optimum binocular vision in low light; these adaptations allow them to locate prey easily.
• Finally their feathers are specially adapted to allow them to fly silently; this enables them to catch prey before being detected.