Comoros scops owl

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Comoros scops owl
Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Owls (Strigiformes)
Family : Real owls (Strigidae)
Genre : Scops Owls ( Otus )
Type : Comoros scops owl
Scientific name
Otus pauliani
Benson , 1960

The Comorian scops owl ( Otus pauliani ), also known as the Comoros owl, is a rare species of the scops owl . It is endemic to the Comoros island of Grande Comore . The type epithet honors the French zoologist Renaud Paulian (1913–2003).

description

The Comoros scops owl reaches a length of approximately 15 to 20 centimeters. The weight of the male is approximately 70 grams. The Comoros scops owl comes in a light and a dark morph. The tufts of ears are very small and can hardly be seen when observing the field. The face veil is gray or brown with white speckles, some dark circles and pale light eyebrows. The upper side is dark gray-brown or brown with an indistinct light plumage. The shoulder feathers are inconspicuously spotted yellow-brown. The wings and tail are banded. The underside is light to dark rust brown with a dense dark wave pattern and sparse, differently distinct black shaft stripes. The lower reaches are not feathered. The iris is yellow or dark brown. The beak is gray-brown. Legs and feet are brownish.

Their call consists of high-pitched "toot" or "choo" whistles at regular intervals of one to two seconds, which quickly change into faster series of short, downwardly sloping "cho" tones and are repeated for 10 minutes at half-second intervals.

Occurrence and habitat

The Comoros scops owl is endemic to the Karthala , an active volcano on the Grande Comore Island . It inhabits forests and forest edges on the north, west and south flanks of the volcano at an altitude of 650 m up to the tree line. Their habitat is dominated by primary evergreen mountain forests, where they find old hollow trees to nest.

Way of life

Little is known about their way of life. Their diet probably consists mainly of insects. what their weak claws indicate. The Comoros scops owl is strictly territorial and needs a breeding area of ​​about 5 ha. It nests in tree hollows. The breeding season is probably from September to December.

status

Since 1983 the intact forest on the Karthala has decreased by 25%. Because of the poor quality of the soil, more and more forest is being cleared to gain new arable land. The secondary forests are dominated by invasive plants such as the guava ( Psidium cattleianum ). Commercial clearing is permitted in an area of ​​50 km² on the southwest slope of the Karthala. The pioneer forest is being destroyed by slash and burn to make way for grazing land. Shepherd mainas and introduced rats are food competitors or rob the owls' nests. BirdLife International currently estimates the population at 2000 specimens.

literature

  • 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 .

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