Madagascar owl
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Madagascar owl ( Ninox superciliaris ) |
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| Ninox superciliaris | ||||||||||
| ( Vieillot , 1817) |
The Madagascar owl ( Ninox superciliaris ) is a species of bird from the family of real owls (Strigidae) that is endemic to Madagascar .
description
The Madagascar owl reaches a body length of 23 to 30 centimeters and a weight of up to 236 grams. It is a medium-sized owl with a round head and no feather ears. The top is brown and only has a few small white spots on the vertex and the wing covers. A wide, whitish stripe above the eyes is noticeable . The underside is cross-banded white and brown. The bill, legs and feet are yellowish in color. The birds show no sexual dimorphism .
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Madagascar owl covers a very wide coastal strip around the entire island of Madagascar. It is only missing in the central highlands. It inhabits evergreen rainforests, wooded savannahs and rocky gorges from the plain to a height of 800 meters.
Way of life
Only incomplete information is available about the way of life of the Madagascar owls. They feed primarily on insects, occasionally amphibians and reptiles as well as small birds and small mammals such as mice. They only hunt at night. The breeding season falls from October to December. The nests are created in tree hollows and equipped with three to five eggs. Details of the breeding behavior are not known.
Danger
The Madagascar owl is widespread and not rare in Madagascar. Accordingly, the World Conservation Organization ( IUCN) classifies the species as 
“ least concern = not endangered”.
Taxonomy
Based on genetic analyzes, the Madagascar owl is placed in the genus Athene by some authors . Further investigations to finally clarify the genre are required.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e D. W. Holt, R. Berkley, C. Deppe, P. Enríquez Rocha, JL Petersen, JL Rangel Salazar, KP Segars, KL Wood & JS Marks (2017). White-browed Owl (Athene superciliaris). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, DA Christie & E. de Juana (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (viewed at http://www.hbw.com/node/55107 on March 29, 2017).
- ↑ occurrence
- ^ IUCN Red List
- ^ Claus König & Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the world. 2nd Edition. Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal : Handbook of the Birds of the World, Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Volume 5, Lynx Edicions, 1999, ISBN 978-84-87334-25-2 .
Web links
- worldbirdnames - IOC World Bird List
- Madagascar owl (Ninox superciliaris) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved August 11, 2017.