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|infraorder=
|infraorder=
|superfamily=
|superfamily=
|families=Strigidae
|families=
|family=
|family=Strigidae
|subfamily=Striginae
|subfamily=Striginae
|supertribe=
|supertribe=
|tribe=Bombini
|tribe=
|subtribe=
|subtribe=
|genera=
|genera=
|genus=Ciccaba
|genus=Strix
|subgenus=
|subgenus=
|species=C. virgata
|species=S. virgata
|binomialname=
|binomialname=
|syn=
|syn=''Ciccaba virgata''
|sub=
|sub=
|alt=
|alt=
|regionimg=
|regionimg=
|pop=
|pop=
|conservation=
|conservation=Least concern<ref>http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22689122/0</ref>
}}
}}
The '''mottled owl''' (''Strix virgata'') is a species of [[owl]] found in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
==Description==
The mottled owl reaches a length of between 11.8 to 13.7 inches. Its plumage is dark brown on the upper side with bright spots, with the underside white or yellow-brown with distinct dark-brown stripes. There are several color variants in which the mottling of the upper side changes into a striation, depending on the region in which they are found. The birds of the Amazonian forest are, however, reddish-brown, slightly larger and have an orange-yellow striation. The face veil is very well developed and delineated by white feathers.
===Subspecies===
*''Strix virgata borelliana''; eastern Paraguay to southeastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina (Misiones)
*''Strix virgata centralis''; southeastern Mexico (Oaxaca and Veracruz) to western Panama
*''Strix virgata macconnelli''; Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana
*''Strix virgata squamulata''; Mexico: Sonora to Guerrero, Guanajuato and Morelos
*''Strix virgata superciliaris''; Brazil: north-central to northeastern Amazon River basin
*''Strix virgata tamaulipensis''; Mexico: southern Nuevo León and Tamaulipas
*''Strix virgata virgata''; eastern Panama to Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador; Trinidad
Mottled owls are very frequent within its overall range; it is active at night, feeding on small birds, reptiles, and insects. Breeding is in April to May and the female places two dirty brown eggs in a tree cave or the abandoned nest of a bird of prey.
Mottled owls are one of four species formerly of the genus ''[[Ciccaba]]''; genetics suggested a closer relationship to birds of the genus ''[[Strix]]'' than was previously believed, resulting in a change of classification<ref>http://www.planetofbirds.com/strigiformes-strigidae-black-and-white-owl-strix-nigrolineata</ref>.
==References==
<small><references/></small>
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Owls]]
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Owls]]