Hartlaub scops owl

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Hartlaub scops owl
Otus hartlaubi 12933236.jpg

Hartlaub scops owl ( Otus hartlaubi )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Owls (Strigiformes)
Family : Real owls (Strigidae)
Genre : Scops Owls ( Otus )
Type : Hartlaub scops owl
Scientific name
Otus hartlaubi
( Gable , 1872)

The Hartlaub scops owl ( Otus hartlaubi ) is a species of the scops owl ( Otus ). It is endemic to the island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea . The type epithet honors the German zoologist Gustav Hartlaub .

features

The Hartlaub scops owl reaches a size of 18 centimeters, a wing length of 123 to 139 mm and a tail length of 60 to 72 mm. The females are slightly larger than the males. The weight is approximately 79 grams. A distinction is made between two color morphs. In the gray-brown color morph, the upper side is almost monochrome dark brown with indistinct reddish brown and dark markings. The feathers on the top of the head, on the neck and on the back have blackish shaft stripes. A few dark-lined whitish spots can be seen on the neck. The face veil is light brown, a little darker near the eyes. The feather wreath is reddish brown. The ear tufts are very small. The shoulder feathers have very large whitish areas and form a shoulder stripe. The brownish hand wings are unbanded and speckled yellowish brown and whitish. The brown arm wings have fine wave drawings. The tail is almost unbanded with indistinct narrow yellow-brown bands and reddish-brown wave markings. The underside is whitish with fine brown and reddish-brown banding and blackish shaft stripes that converge along the bands. The distal quarter of the barrel is featherless, the back and sides are completely bare. The reddish-brown color morph is similar to the gray-brown color morph, the basic color of the plumage is dark reddish-brown, the black markings are more pronounced. The eyes are deep yellow, beak and wax skin are yellowish. The tip of the beak is grayish washed out. The barrel and toes are yellow ocher. The claws are brown. The down dress is blank, the nestling dress of the young birds is lighter in both color morphs than in the adult birds with fine banding on the top and bottom.

Vocalizations

The singing is a screeching, sloping, inflected kwüow that is uttered at intervals of about 12 to 20 seconds. It differs completely from the purring song of the African scops owl ( Otus senegalensis ) and the flute-like sounds of the common scops owl ( Otus scops ).

Habitat and way of life

The Hartlaub scops owl inhabits moist primary forests, but also secondary forests and plantations, from the lowlands to altitudes of 1500 m. It is nocturnal, during the day it rests in well camouflaged shelters in the dense foliage or close to the tree trunks. Occasionally she uses tree hollows as sleeping places. The Hartlaub scops owl is not shy. The diet consists primarily of insects, including grasshoppers , beetles and moths . In addition, she chases after small lizards . It hunts in the dense foliage in the lower tree level. It occasionally comes down to the ground. Almost nothing is known about the breeding behavior. Presumably it nests in natural tree hollows. Two nestlings that have not yet been able to fly were found on the ground, which might suggest that this species is at least an occasional ground breeder. The clutch probably consists of two white eggs.

status

BirdLife International classifies Hartlaub Zwergohreule into the category of "endangered" ( vulnerable ), and estimates the stock to about 1,000 adult birds. In the past, large areas of forest on São Tomé were cleared for coffee and cocoa plantations. Today the privatization of the land leads to an increase in small farms and the deforestation of trees. The primary forest is not currently affected, but could be endangered in the future. Limited areas of secondary and primary forests, especially in the north of the distribution area, are endangered by deforestation for agriculture and the use of timber and firewood. Road construction along the east and west coast opened up access to previously remote regions. The ever-evolving oil industry, including the establishment of "free ports" (free trade zones), was seen as a threat to the scops owl habitat. However, the search for oil on land was unsuccessful and the expansion of oil production is expected to take place off the coast.

literature

  • Claus König, Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World. Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2 .
  • J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliot, J. Sargatal (Eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions 1999, ISBN 84-87334-25-3 .

Web links