The rich Brazilian avifauna has 22 species of owls. Of these, at least six are frequently seen in urban centers: caburé, suindara, owl, owl, owl and owl.
"All of these are widely distributed in the country, except the owl, which is somewhat more restricted to the South, Southeast and Center-West regions. Therefore, it is not rare to see any of these owls in the city, especially in places where there are forest remnants and parks," explains ornithologist Willian Menq.
According to the specialist, forestation is an indispensable characteristic when the subject is owls in the urban environment and, depending on the quantity of forest spaces, it is even possible to find rare and threatened species. "The offer of wooded spaces attracts forest owls, such as the yellow-bellied owl, the bush owl and even the black owl, whose subspecies of the Atlantic Forest is threatened with extinction. In Rio de Janeiro there are records of this bird in urban areas", he highlights.
Although the "city owls" are not on the list of threatened species, the risk is imminent. "The cities have several dangers for birds in general. It is very common to see owls electrocuted in the wires, stuck in kite lines and run over in busy roads. Besides the accident with domestic animals", Menq points out the oldest threat to the owls.
"People's fear and prejudice with these birds still worry. Many people believe in legends about birds being of bad omen, which does not make any feeling, especially today, with the amount of information we have," he says.
The presence of the owls is a sign for several positive aspects. It's nice to have them around because they are birds that control the population of rodents, insects, arachnids and other invertebrates. They help to balance these populations that live in the cities.