Mohéli scops owl
Mohéli scops owl | ||||||||||
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Systematics | ||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||
Otus moheliensis | ||||||||||
Lafontaine & Moulaert , 1998 |
The Mohéli scops owl ( Otus moheliensis ), also known as Mohélie owl, is a rare species of the scops owl . It is endemic to the Comoros island of Mohéli , where it was discovered in 1995.
description
The Mohéli scops owl reaches a length of approximately 22 centimeters. The weight is 95 grams for the male and 116 grams for the female. The Mohéli scops owl comes in a brown and a russet morph. The tufts of ears are greatly reduced. The brown morph is reddish brown. The top of the head and the upper side are mottled and banded with black. The nape of the neck shows some black stripes. The shoulder feathers have light cinnamon brown outer flags. The face veil and the underside are more rusty-cinnamon brown. Black shaft stripes can be seen on the chest. The flanks and belly have fine black banding. In the rust-brown morph, the rust-cinnamon-brown tint is more intense everywhere. The lower third of the barrel is not feathered. The iris is yellow and the beak horn-colored. The underflow and feet are gray. Juvenile birds have not yet been described.
Little is known about their reputation. The call of the male should consist of rows of one to five hissing whistles. Occasionally a scream can also be heard.
Habitat and way of life
The Mohéli scops owl endemic to dense wet forests on Saint-Antoine (700 m) as well as on Mzé Koukoulé (790 m) and its lower slopes. It is most common in intact forests and less so in forests that have been degraded by agricultural use. Little is known about their way of life. It probably feeds on insects.
status
The Mohéli scops owl needs intact forest areas, which fell from 30% to 5% between 1968 and 1995 on Mohéli. Logging and conversion to farmland erode the soil and make it prone to landslides. Invasive plants such as the rose apple , the green rose and the soap bush prevent the growth of endemic vegetation and thus degrade the habitat. Occasionally the owls are also hunted. Invasive species, such as rats, compete with food or plunder owl's nests. BirdLife International estimates the population at 400 specimens.
literature
- J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliot, J. Sargatal (Eds.) (1999): Handbook of the Birds of the World . Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, 1999, ISBN 84-87334-25-3 .
- Erik Hirschfeld: The Rare Birds Yearbook 2008. MagDig Media, Shrewsbury 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552607-3-5 .
Web links
- Otus moheliensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- BirdLife factsheet
- Description and photos (Dutch)