RANGE: The Andes (Ecuador, Peru, to west-central Bolivia); also northern Columbia, northwestern Venezuela

STATUS: Owlpages.com considers this species probably Rare and Endangered. NatureServe ranks it as Apparently Secure.

THREATS: Unknown

Much about this bird is a puzzle — but what we do know, we like. The rufescent screech owl is a buff- to cocoa-colored owl that makes its home in humid forests in northwestern Venezuela, northern Colombia, and in the Andes (Ecuador, Peru, and west-central Bolivia). It particularly likes the zone of forest nestled into the mountains between 4,200 and 7,900 feet. Its global population is believed to be large since the species is described as frequent in at least parts of its range.