Philippine eagle-owl

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Philippine eagle-owl
Bubo philippensis.jpg
At Avilon Zoo, Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Ketupa
Species:
K. philippensis
Binomial name
Ketupa philippensis
(Kaup, 1851)

The Philippine eagle-owl (Ketupa philippensis) is a vulnerable species of owl belonging to the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, Luzon, Leyte and possibly Sibuyan. [3] The Philippine eagle-owl feeds on rodents and amphibians. [4] Due to its reliance on living in large lowland forests, forest conservation is important in order to maintain populations of the Philippine eagle-owl, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable to going extinct. [5] The Philippine eagle-owl was previously listed as endangered, but due to destruction of lowland habitat and possible hunting, the eagle-owl has since been adjusted to the vulnerability of extinction. [6]

Contents

Taxonomy

The Philippine eagle-owl was formally described in 1851 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup. He placed the owl in his new genus Pseudoptynx and coined the binomial name Pseudoptynx philippensi. [7] [8] The Philippine eagle-owl is now placed in the genus Ketupa that was introduced in 1831 by the French naturalist René Lesson. [9] [10]

Two subspecies are recognised: [10]

Description

At Malagos Garden Resort, Davao City, Philippines Bubo philippensis -Malagos Garden Resort, Davao City, Philippines-8a.jpg
At Malagos Garden Resort, Davao City, Philippines

The Philippine eagle-owl has a total wingspan of about 48 inches, and with a total length of 40–50 cm (15.5–19.5 in) and a wing-length of about 35 cm (14 in), (where typically a female would size larger than a male) it is the largest owl in the Philippines, but among the smallest members of the genus Ketupa . [11] [12] [13] It is overall rufous with a lighter belly and yellow eyes. It has a warm brown coloring with many markings on its back, with a bird call pitch of a long whistle that rises shortly and falls at the end. [14] It is also described as being incredibly bulky and having tufted ears, closely resembling the buffy fish-owl (Ketupa ketupu). [15] The subspecies K. p. mindanensis is darker and more heavily streaked than the nominate form. [12]

Habitat

This owl inhabits forest edges near streams. They rest in a tree during the day and hunts hunt at dusk to feed on small vertebrates. The Philippine eagle-owl is the largest owl in the country. [16]

Behavior

Little is known about the behavior of this secretive species, but the powerful feet suggest it feeds on small mammals and birds. [12]

This eagle-owl lays one egg per clutch and has an incubation period of 35 days. [17]

Breeding in captivity

In December 2005, Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (NFEFI) in Bacolod was the first conservation center in the world to successfully hatch a Philippine eagle-owl (aptly nicknamed Bubo) in captivity and it has the only breeding pair of these owls in captivity anywhere in the world.

On November 21, 2005, conservationists at the center made world history when it successfully bred a Philippine eagle-owl in captivity. Notably NFEFI had first secured the first-ever captive breeding loan between DENR-accredited institutions in the Philippines, consisting of three pairs of eagle-owls from the Avilon Montalban Zoological Park in Montalban, Rizal and transported them to Bacolod in December 2002. Two pairs showed attraction, and the couple Hinahon and Suplada—local terms for "calm" and "snob"—made courtship. It was on November 21, 2005, that an owlet was discovered in the nest, about three days old, and named Bubo. As Bubo grew, Suplada taught it how to tear pieces of mouse meat, thus rearing it.

In 2006, Suplada also laid one egg and another owlet was hatched through the aid[ clarification needed ] of the World Owl Trust, Flora and Fauna International-Philippine Biodiversity Conservation program and the Avilon Zoological Park in Montalban Rizal. [18] The Philippine eagle-owl is also protected in areas through the Conservation of Priority Protected Areas Project (CPPAP) in Luzon, Mts Kitanglad and Apo on MIndanao. [19]

Hunting of the Philippine eagle-owl is illegal in the Philippines, but lacks proper enforcement because many local people are able to resist strict control attempts. [19]

Early life

After hatching, Philippine eagle-owl chicks need to be intensely cared for by their parents. These new chicks are unable to thermoregulate by themselves, so they need the body heat from their mother or father to keep them warm. [20] These chicks are also unable to feed themselves due to their lack of ability to fly. The father bird will go out to catch the food while the mother will tear it up into smaller pieces for the chick to eat. [21]

Threats

The Philippine eagle-owl has faced threats from several factors within its habitat. Some of those factors include deforestation for agricultural use, commercial logging, and natural causes that destroy the bird's habitat such as catanduanes and typhoons. Another factor that was contributing to the near extinction of these birds was illegal hunting and lack of enforcing the laws. [19] In the Philippines, some law enforcement agencies have poor management and internal corruption. [22] This corruption contributes to the long surviving issue of poaching and illegal trading of animals. [23] Interbreeding has also threatened the eagle-owl since it produces offspring that are infertile and unable to reproduce. [24]

Related Research Articles

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The Philippine eagle, also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae which is endemic to forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-colored plumage, a shaggy crest, and generally measures 86 to 102 cm in length and weighs 4.04 to 8.0 kg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horned owl</span> Genus of birds (Bubo)

The American horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the genus Bubo, at least as traditionally described. The genus name Bubo is Latin for owl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spot-bellied eagle-owl</span> Species of owl

The spot-bellied eagle-owl, also known as the forest eagle-owl is a large bird of prey with a formidable appearance. It is a forest-inhabiting species found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. This species is considered part of a superspecies with the barred eagle-owl, which looks quite similar but is allopatric in distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avilon Zoo</span> Zoo in Rizal, Philippines.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine warty pig</span> Species of mammal

The Philippine warty pig is one of four known species in the pig genus (Sus) endemic to the Philippines. They have tufts of hair on the top of their head and on the lower sides of their jaws, as well as four warts on their faces. Their skulls are elongated; males have tusks and bigger skulls than females, an example of sexual dimorphism. They are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN, and their population is currently declining due to multiple threats. The pigs are probably nocturnal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous hornbill</span> Species of bird

The rufous hornbill, also known as the Philippine hornbill and locally as kalaw, is a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines. They are referred by locals as the "clock-of-the-mountains" due to its large booming call which typically occur of every hour. It occurs in moist tropical lowland forest. They are now considered to be a threatened species and its reasons for decline being habitat destruction, hunting and poaching for the illegal pet trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine hanging parrot</span> Species of bird

The Philippine hanging parrot, also commonly known as the colasisi from its local Tagalog name "kulasisi", is a small psittaculid parrot species endemic to the Philippines. It includes about eleven subspecies, at least one of which might represent a distinct species, although further research is needed. While it is listed as Least Concern in IUCN, some subspecies, such as L. p. chyrsonotus of Cebu and L. p. siquijorensis of Siquijor, may already be extinct. The species is threatened by habitat loss, but a bigger threat is trapping for the illegal wildlife trade; wild-caught birds are often sold as pets in streets and online selling groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-wattled bulbul</span> Species of bird

The yellow-wattled bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akun eagle-owl</span> Species of owl

The akun eagle-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae and is native to the African tropical rainforest.

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

Fraser's eagle-owl is a species of African owl in the family Strigidae. It is named after the British zoologist Louis Fraser.

<i>Ketupa</i> Genus of birds

Ketupa is a genus of owls in the family Strigidae. The genus formerly contained just three species, the fish owls but based on the results from a genetic study published in 2020, the generic boundaries were altered. The genus now contains twelve species, nine of which were formerly placed in the genus Bubo.

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine dwarf kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Philippine dwarf kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to the Philippines found in the islands of Luzon, Polillo Islands, Catanduanes, Basilan, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. But it is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinsker's hawk-eagle</span> Species of bird

Pinsker's hawk-eagle, south Philippine hawk-eagle or Mindanao hawk-eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to the Philippines native to the islands of Leyte, Samar, Negros, Basilan, Bohol and Mindanao. It is found in primary moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane forest up to 1,900 m. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. IUCN estimates just 600–800 mature birds left.

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

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

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

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References

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  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  3. Philippine Eagle-Owl. BirdLife International Factsheet. Accessed October 5, 2008.
  4. "ADOPTION PAGE". PEF. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  5. "Philippines | The Field Museum". philippines.fieldmuseum.org. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  6. Holt, Denver W.; Berkley, Regan; Deppe, Caroline; Enríquez, Paula L.; Petersen, Julie L.; Rangel Salazar, José Luis; Segars, Kelley P.; Wood, Kristin L.; de Juana, Eduardo; Marks, Jeffrey S. (March 4, 2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippensis)". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.pheowl2.01. S2CID   226080055.
  7. Kaup, Johann Jakob (1851). "Vertheidigung meines Systems der Falken und Eulen gegen den Conspectus des Prinzen Ch. Bonaparte". Archiv für Naturgeschichte (in German). 17: 75-114 [110].
  8. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1940). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 120.
  9. Lesson, René (1831). Traité d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Méthodique (in French). Paris: F.G. Levrault. p. 114 (livraison 2). Published in 8 livraisons between 1830 and 1831. For the publication date see: Dickinson, E.C.; Overstreet, L.K.; Dowsett, R.J.; Bruce, M.D. (2011). Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers. Northampton, UK: Aves Press. p. 119. ISBN   978-0-9568611-1-5.
  10. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2023). "Owls". IOC World Bird List Version 13.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  11. "Philippines | The Field Museum". philippines.fieldmuseum.org. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Züchner, T. (1999). Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippinensis). Pp 192-193 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. eds. (1999). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN   84-87334-25-3
  13. Kennedy, R., Gonzales, P., Dickinson, E., Miranda, H., Jr., & Fisher, T. (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN   0-19-854668-8
  14. "Philippine Eagle-Owl - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  15. Barns, Jeremy (2017). "Post breeding biology of the Philippine Eagle-owl Bubo philippensis". Journal of Natural History. 2: 8–19 via National Museum of the Philippines.
  16. Avilon Zoo, http://www.avilonzoo.com.ph Archived January 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  17. DED, The DED in the Philippines
  18. Visayan Star, Rare owl lays egg
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  21. "Temperature Regulation and Behavior". web.stanford.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
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