Asio ecuadoriensis (SciiFii)

The South American long-eared owl (Asio ecuadoriensis), also known as the southern long-eared owl, the Ecuador owl, and the giant long-eared owl, is a species of large owl that originally lived in South America, especially Ecuador, during the Pleistocene, and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout South America to help boost biodiversity. It is most closely related to the long-eared owl (Asio otus), but it is much bigger, comparable in size to a large great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), making it among the largest owls of its genus. If is very much like the great horned owl in, not only size, but also behavior and ecological niche, so it primarily preys upon smaller owls, as well as many kinds of small and mid sized mammals. This species of owl shows a partiality for semi-open habitats, particularly woodland and rainforest edges, as they prefer to roost and nest within dense stands of wood but prefer to hunt over open ground. Under some circumstances, such as population cycles of their regular prey, arid or insular regional habitats or urbanization, this species can adapt fairly well to a diversity of prey, including birds and insects. Most, if not all, owls do not build their own nests. In the case of the South American long-eared owl, the owls generally utilizes nests that are built by other animals, with a partiality in many regions for those built by corvids. Breeding success in this species is largely correlated with prey populations and predation risks. Unlike many owls, South American long-eared owls are not strongly territorial nor sedentary. They are partially migratory and, although owls appear to generally use the same migratory routes and wintering sites annually, can tend to appear so erratically that they are sometimes characterized as “nomadic”. Another fairly unique characteristic of this species is its partially for regular roosts that are often shared by a number of South American long-eared owls at once. The South American long-eared owl is one of the most widely distributed and most numerous owl species of South America, being found in almost every single forest habitats of the continent. The conservation status of the South American long-eared owl is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the South American long-eared owl's wide natural range and its tolerance to most of human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.