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Oraristrix Temporal range: Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Comparison of O. brea (center), and other extinct owls
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
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

Oraristix brea, the La Brea owl, is an extinct owl reported from the Upper Pleistocene asphalt deposits of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. It was first described in 1933 by Hildegarde Howard as Strix brea, but this extinct owl was recently placed into its own genus by Campbell and Bocheński (2010). The La Brea owl has also been found in the Upper Pleistocene asphalt deposits of Carpinteria, California. Oraristrix brea is interpreted as more terrestrial in habits than forest owls because, compared to North American species of Bubo and Strix, it had longer legs relative to its wingspan.

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.

v t e Genera of owls and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Neoaves Clade: Passerea Clade: Telluraves
Basal Telluraves Telluraves †Lamillavis? †Zealandornithidae Zealandornis Australaves See Australaves Afroaves †Lutavis? Accipitrimorphae See Accipitrimorphae Coliiformes See Coliiformes Strigiformes See below ↓
Strigiformes incertae sedis †Ypresiglaux †Heterostrigidae Heterostrix †Ogygoptyngidae Ogygoptynx †Palaeoglaucidae Palaeoglaux †Protostrigidae "Aurorornis" Eostrix Minerva Oligostrix Primoptynx? †Sophiornitidae Berruornis? Enskenia Palaeobyas? Palaeotyto? Sophiornis Strigidae Aegolius †Alasio Asio †Asphaltoglaux Athene Bubo Glaucidium †Grallistrix Gymnasio Gymnoglaux †Intulula Jubula Ketupa Lophostrix Margarobyas Megascops Micrathene †Mioglaux †Miosurnia Ninox †Oraristrix †Ornimegalonyx Otus Pseudoscops Psiloscops Ptilopsis Pulsatrix Scotopelia Strix Surnia Taenioptynx Uroglaux Xenoglaux †Yarquen Tytonidae †Miotyto †Necrobyas †Nocturnavis Phodilus †Prosybris †Selenornis Tyto

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• Strigidae
• Pleistocene birds of North America
• Fossil taxa described in 2010
• Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
• Extinct monotypic bird genera
• Prehistoric bird stubs