Giant scops owl

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Giant scops owl
Otus gurneyi 2004 stamp+card of the Philippines 2.jpg
Otus gurneyi on a 2004 stamp and postcard of the Philippines
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species:
O. gurneyi
Binomial name
Otus gurneyi
(Tweeddale, 1879)
Synonyms
  • Mimizuku gurneyi

The giant scops owl (Otus gurneyi), lesser eagle owl, Mindanao eagle owl or Mindanao owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. In size and structure, it is considered intermediate between a scops owl and an eagle-owl. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Contents

Taxonomy

The giant scops owl was originally described as Pseudoptynx gurneyi, and later as Mimizuku gurneyi. it is now part of the genus Otus . [3]

Description

Mimizuku gurneyi.jpg

The giant scops owl is a medium-sized bird with a length of about 30 cm (12 in). It has a reddish-brown facial disc with a narrow black edge, white streaks above the eyes and prominent ear tufts. The back of the head and the upperparts of the body are reddish-brown boldly marked with black streaks and with a line of white streaks on the scapulars. The underparts are whitish with traces of reddish-brown and bold black markings. The voice is a series of five to ten calls, "wuaah, wuaah..." with the series repeated at ten to twenty second intervals. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The giant scops owl is known only from the islands of Dinagat, Siargao and Mindanao in the Philippines. Although it has not yet been proven, it has been theorized that giant scops owls also exist on Marinduque, situated off the island of Luzon. Its habitat is primary and secondary forests, mostly at an altitude of under 670 m (2,200 ft) although it has been seen up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). It sometimes frequents partially logged forests of Dipterocarpaceae species. [1]

Status and conservation

The giant scops owl is rated as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN in its Red List of Threatened Species. This is because the population is declining as its forest habitat is destroyed by deforestation and by the mining of chromite. [1] This bird was never a common species and it is thought that in 1999 there were between 3,500 and 15,000 individuals remaining consisting of 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals. Of the three islands on which it is found, Dinagat has been almost completely denuded of forest, while on Samar and Mindanao almost all the remaining forest is leased to mining or logging companies. [1] The charity "Endangered Species International" is using this owl and other endangered species on a trail in the Mount Matutum protected area to teach local people and visitors to the Philippines about the importance of preserving the habitat. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Philippine scops owl is a common owl, endemic to the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. Other common names include "Otus Whitehead", "Whitehead scops owl" and "Luzon lowland scops owl". Everett's scops owl and Negros scops owls were formerly considered conspecific but are now classified as separate species.

The Moheli scops owl is a scops owl endemic to the island of Mohéli, one of the Comoro Islands.

The Anjouan scops owl is an owl endemic to the island of Anjouan in the Comoro Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flores scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Flores scops owl is an owl endemic to the island of Flores, Indonesia. It is threatened by habitat loss. This owl is around 19–21 cm from head to tail. They are a forest dwelling owl that is smallish in size. Some 250–2,499 individuals are estimated to be extant in the wild, dwindling due to habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunda scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Sunda scops owl is a small brown owl native to the Sunda Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallace's scops owl</span> Species of bird endemic to Indonesia

Wallace's scops owl is endemic to the Sumbawa and Flores islands, in the Lesser Sundas chain of Indonesia. It is not rare in most of its habitat and has no subspecies except for the nominate. It is also known as the Lesser Sunda scops owl. It is named after Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, and biologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palawan scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Palawan scops owl is an owl endemic to the Philippines only being found on the island of Palawan. It is found on tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Mindanao scops owl is an owl endemic to Mindanao island in the Philippines. It is found in tropical montane forest above 1,000 meters above sea level. It is threatened by habitat destruction and deforestation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Luzon scops owl or the Luzon highland scops owl is a species of scops owl endemic to Luzon, Philippines. Not to be confused with the Philippine scops owl, sometimes referred to as the Luzon lowland scops owl, which is a more common species that shares the same range. The Luzon scops owl, however, is smaller and inhabits higher altitudes than its lowland relative.

The Sangihe scops owl is an owl species endemic to the Sangihe Island of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mantanani scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Mantanani scops owl, is a small owl in the scops-owl genus Otus found on small islands between Borneo and the Philippines. It is listed by the IUCN as "near threatened" because its range is limited with its population being fragmented on several different islands, and its forest habitat is being degraded by ongoing logging and clearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">São Tomé scops owl</span> Species of owl

The São Tomé scops owl is a species of owl in the true owl family, Strigidae. It is endemic to São Tomé Island, part of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayotte scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Mayotte scops owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the island of Mayotte in the Comoros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown tit-babbler</span> Species of bird

The brown tit-babbler is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everett's scops owl</span> Species of owl

Everett's scops owl is an owl, endemic to the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. They are found on Bohol, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Mindanao and Basilan. This speces is part of the Philippine scops owl species complex which includes the Negros scops owl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negros scops owl</span> Species of owl

The Negros scops owl, also known as the Visayan scops owl, is an owl, endemic to the islands of Negros and Panay in the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Philippine scops owl. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting for the pet trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao boobook</span> Species of owl

The Mindanao boobook or Mindanao hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it a distinct species. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindoro boobook</span> Species of owl

The Mindoro boobook or Mindoro hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romblon boobook</span> Species of owl

The Romblon boobook or Romblon hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines. It is only found on the islands of Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cebu boobook</span> Species of owl

The Cebu boobook or Cebu hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other data suggested placement in a distinct species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 BirdLife International (2017). "Otus gurneyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T22688911A110372685. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22688911A110372685.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. 1 2 Benstead, P.; Bird, J.; Davidson, P.; Derhé, M.; Lowen, J.; Peet, N. "Giant Scops-owl Otus gurneyi". Birdlife International. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
  4. Whittington, Kate. "Giant Scops Owl (Otus gurneyi)". Archived from the original on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2013-08-24.