| 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.
