small mammal, a bird, reptile or amphibian or a large beetle, grasshopper or other insect/arthropod. It is known to prey on bats. The mottled owl breeds between February and May in Colombia and in September to November in Argentina. It usually nests in a hole in a tree but may also choose an empty nest built by another species. One or usually two white eggs are laid and incubated by the female and both parents care for the young. Status The mottled owl has a very wide range and the number of individual birds has been estimated to be somewhere between five hundred thousand and five million. It is listed by the IUCN as being of "Least Concern" on the basis that, though its numbers may be decreasing slightly, they are not doing so at such a rate as would justify putting the bird in a more vulnerable category. References External links Mottled Owl photo at owlpages.com Strix (genus) Birds described in 1849 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN