Owls of Guatemala

Owls (Strigiformes) belong to the least studied birds in Guatemala. Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño have been contributing several studies enhancing the knowledge of these birds in Guatemala and Mesoamerica.

Owl diversity in Guatemala

Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño updated the information on diversity, distribution, and conservation of owls in Guatemala, and contributed to the knowledge on the natural history of selected species.

Eisermann, K. & C. Avendaño (2018) An update on the inventory, distribution and residency status of bird species in Guatemala. Bulletin British Ornithologists' Club 138: 148-229.

Eisermann, K. & C. Avendaño (2017) The owls of Guatemala. 447-515 in P. L. Enríquez (ed.) Neotropical owls: diversity and conservation. Springer, Cham, Switzerland.

Eisermann, K. & C. Avendaño (2015) Los búhos de Guatemala. 381-434 in P. L. Enríquez (ed.) Los búhos neotropicales: diversidad y conservación. ECOSUR, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.

Natural history of owls

Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño study the natural history of selected owl species in Guatemala. The following contributions have been published:

Distribution and breeding of Bearded Screech-Owl (Megascops barbarus)
with the first nesting documented in the country.

Ecology of Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium cobanense)
We documented the first nesting records for Guatemala. Results of our analysis of the vocalizations of the Northern Pygmy-Owl complex in Mexico and northern Central America support a specific split of Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium cobanense) from the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico from Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) from the highlands of northern Mexico.

Natural history of Unspotted Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius ridgwayi) We studied the current distribution of Unspotted Saw-whet Owl in Guatemala, and described vocalizations of this owl including vocal field marks for telling it apart from Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl.

Nesting and habitat of Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) in Guatemala
We described the first nesting record of Flammulated Owl in Guatemala, which represents the first nesting record south-east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Natural history of Fulvous Owl (Strix fulvescens) We compiled data on the distribution in Guatemala, and documented the first breeding records for the country.

Compilation of research needs and taxonomy of Neotropical owls

Knut Eisermann contributed to an overview on research and conservation needs of owls in Mexico and Central America, presented during a symposium on Neotropical owls held during the IX Neotropical Ornithological Congress in Peru, November 2011.

Enríquez, P. L., K. Eisermann, H. Mikkola & J. C. Motta-Junior (2017) A review of the systematics of Neotropical owls (Strigformes). 7-19 in P. L. Enríquez (ed.) Neotropical owls: diversity and conservation. Springer, Cham, Switzerland.

Enríquez, P. L., K. Eisermann & H. Mikkola (2012) Los búhos de México y Centroamérica: necesidades en investigación y conservación. Ornitología Neotropical 23, Suppl.: 247-260.

Enríquez, P. L., K. Eisermann, J. C. Motta-Junior & H. Mikkola (2015) Una revisión de la taxonomía y sistemática de los búhos neotropicales. 29-38 in P. L. Enríquez (ed.) Los búhos neotropicales: diversidad y conservación. ECOSUR, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.