WHAT IS IT?
Despite a passing resemblance to Gizmo from Gremlins (that’s the cute, furry mogwai with the ears, obviously), the crested owl is one of a kind – the sole member of its genus, Lophostrix. The species is widespread and fairly common across large swathes of Central and South America, yet its basic biology remains largely mysterious. Its call is known to be more k-k-kkk-krrrrrrao than twit-twoo, and pairs are often seen snuggling up to roost together during the daytime, but its nest has not yet been described and it’s not even clear what prey animals it targets. Whatever those turn out to be, let’s just hope the owl doesn’t eat them after midnight.