Oraristrix

Oraristrix Temporal range:
Comparison of O. brea (center), and other extinct owls
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	†Oraristrix Campbell & Bocheński, 2010
Species:	†O. brea
Binomial name
†Oraristrix brea (Howard, 1933)
Synonyms
Strix brea Howard, 1933

Oraristrix brea, commonly known as the La Brea owl, is an extinct species of owl reported from the Upper Pleistocene asphalt deposits at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. It was first described by Hildegarde Howard in 1933 as Strix brea and was subsequently assigned to the separate genus Oraristrix by Campbell and Bocheński in 2010. The species has also been recorded from Upper Pleistocene asphalt deposits of Carpinteria, California. Its relatively long legs in proportion to its wingspan suggest that O. brea was more terrestrial in its habits than modern North American species of Bubo and Strix.

See also

• Glaucidium kurochkini, a pygmy owl also known from the La Brea Tar Pits
• Asphaltoglaux, another owl from the La Brea Tar Pits, this one being more closely related to owls of the genus Aegolius

References

• Kenneth E. Campbell, Jr. & Zbigniew M. Bocheński (2010). "A new genus for the extinct Late Pleistocene owl Strix brea Howard (Aves: Strigiformes) from Rancho La Brea, California" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 62 (1): 123–144. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1534.
• Hildegarde Howard (1933). "A new species of owl from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea, California". The Condor. 35 (2): 66–69. doi:10.2307/1363650. JSTOR 1363650.