Guadalcanal Owl
| Guadalcanal Owl | ||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Ninox granti | ||||||||||
| Sharpe , 1888 |
The Guadalcanal Owl ( Ninox granti ) is a little researched owl species from the genus of the bush owls ( Ninox ). It is endemic to the Solomon Islands of Guadalcanal . Described as a separate species by Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888 , it is often considered a subspecies of the Solomon owl ( Ninox jacquinoti ). However, the Handbook of the Birds of the World has supported recognition as a separate species since 2014. The species epithet honors the British ornithologist William Robert Ogilvie-Grant .
features
The Guadalcanal Owl reaches a size of 24 cm. With three measured specimens the wing length is 178 to 183 mm and with two measured individuals the tail length is 92 and 104 mm. The eyebrows and throat are white. The top is vivid brown. The skull and the elytra show white spots. The underside is whitish with brown banding. The iris is usually yellow or orange-yellow, less often brownish-yellow. The juvenile birds are monochrome dark brown with white wing and tail bands. The underside of them is indistinctly banded in white.
Vocalizations
The call consists of a monotonous series of "poop" tones, which occasionally vary in height and duration. A series takes several minutes. The couples duet with changing "who-ha, who-ha" tones. Sometimes the notes develop into a shrill "poop" duet.
Habitat and way of life
The Guadalcanal Owl inhabits lowland and foothill forests, including forest edges and forest parcels, at altitudes up to 1500 m. It rests in the thicket during the day and is active in the undergrowth or in the middle layer of the trees at night. Further information about his way of life and about his feeding and reproductive behavior is not known.
status
The IUCN classifies the Guadalcanal Owl in the vulnerable category . It is described as fairly common with a population of 2,500 to 10,000 adult birds, but with a decreasing population trend. Research into population size, lifestyle and tolerance to habitat changes is necessary.
literature
- del Hoyo, J .; Collar, NJ; Christie, DA; Elliott, A .; Fishpool, LDC 2014: HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.
- Dutson, G. (2011): Birds of Melanesia: The Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Christopher Helm, London.
- Mikkola, H. (2014): Owls of the World. A photographic guide. 2nd edition. Firefly Books, Buffalo, New York.
- Claus König, Friedhelm Weick, Jan-Hendrik Becking: Owls of the World . 2nd Edition. Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2 .
Web links
- Ninox granti inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Guadalcanal Boobook ( Ninox granti ) . Retrieved October 22, 2015.