Siesta

Siesta was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary in 1995. Her parents were Myrtle and Aztec. She had one sibling - Merlin. In 1999 Siesta went on to another facility to breed. After eight years she returned. Even though she is no longer used for breeding, she still gets "broody" and handlers give her a golf ball to "hatch" to satisfy that breeding instinct. Siesta now resides in the Visitor Information Center where she greets visitors with an excited little trilling call and a very solemn blink of her beautiful eyes. She is a very curious little owl and stares at visitors until they begin to wonder who is viewing who. Your adoption fee will help feed, house and care for Siesta in the coming year.

 

---

Mottled Owl

Strix virgata

---

Description	vertical streaks on chest and throat; white markings on back; brown eyes
Sex	simliar but females are larger; males have a lower pitched hoot
Age	juveniles look the same as adults
Length	13-15"
Wingspan	2.2-2.4"
Weight	0.4-0.7 lbs.
Habitat	very variable; dry thorn forests to humid evergreen jungles
Status	common along most of its range
Range	Range: Central and South America; northern Mexico and south into Brazil and Argentina
Behavior	lays 1-2 eggs between February and May; nests in tree cavities, on the top of a broken off palm tree, or occasionally in vacant nests of other birds; hunts mostly from a perch; is an opportunistic feeder; strictly nocturnal
Diet	large insects and beetles, small mammals and birds, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs
Vocalization	a series of deep hoots; "bru bru", "bu, bubu", "cowooawoo" or "keeooweeyo"; also a whistled screech
Other Information