Black-and-white Owl is a large owl that inhabits a variety of moist tropical woodlands and forests, including mangroves, rainforest, park land, and well-vegetated residential areas, primarily in the lowlands. This owl ranges from central Mexico south through Central America to northwestern Peru and northern Venezuela. The upperparts are mostly dark brown to blackish; the underparts and hind neck are white with narrow dark bars. The face and crown are mostly black with speckled white eyebrows and the eyes are dark. In contrast to the simply colored plumage, the legs and bill are bright orange. Black-and-white Owl resembles Black-banded Owl (Ciccaba huhula) of eastern South America, but the former is largely white below with thin, dark bars, while the latter is black above and below marked with narrow, white barring. Prey of Black-and-white Owl includes a large variety of insects and small mammals such as bats and mice. Some individuals have become habituated to feeding at street lights and are easily observed. Females lay 1-2 eggs in an abandoned bird or mammal nest, a tree crotch, bromeliad clump, or a tree cavity. Perhaps the most common calls of Black-and-white Owl are a hu, hu, hu, hóo-ah and a cat-like scream; a longer series of calls also is given.