Desert uhu
| Desert uhu | ||||||||||
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Desert Owl ( Bubo ascalaphus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Bubo ascalaphus | ||||||||||
| Savigny , 1809 |
The Wüstenuhu or Pharaonenuhu ( Bubo ascalaphus ) is a species in the family of real owls. It occurs in North Africa and the Middle East . Its scientific name is derived from the underworld demon Askalaphos from Greek mythology.
features
The Wüstenuhu is a pale, sand-colored to ocher-colored eagle owl with a creamy white or pale ocher-colored face. The plumage color varies greatly from person to person, but no subspecies are differentiated for this species. The desert owl is noticeably smaller than the Eurasian eagle owl and reaches a body size between 45 and 50 centimeters. Its weight is 1,900 grams for males and an average of 2,300 grams for females.
The throat is white, the front breast has a more or less dense pattern of teardrop-shaped spots. The beak is blackish, the eyes are yellowish to orange in color. The legs and toes are feathered.
The song of the male is slightly higher than that of the Eurasian eagle owl. Both sexes call similarly.
distribution and habitat
The desert owl occurs in northern Africa and the Middle East. It settles in North Africa with parts of the Sahara and the Sahel , including Morocco , Algeria , Tunisia , Libya , Mauritania , Mali , Niger , Chad , Egypt , Sudan , South Sudan and the north-west of Ethiopia . In the Middle East, it occurs in Saudi Arabia , Israel , Palestine , Lebanon and Syria to western Iraq . It occurs along the Persian Gulf in Kuwait , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates . Its distribution area overlaps with that of the eagle owl in the north-west of Africa and in the north-east of the Middle East.
The desert uhu is a resident bird that colonizes rocky deserts, semi-deserts and mountains, provided they have a few isolated trees or bushes, such as in the Fada Archei wildlife reserve and the Dilia de Lagané .
Way of life
The desert owl is a crepuscular and nocturnal species of owl. It transmits in crevices and in the entrance area of larger rooms. The behavior of the species has so far not been adequately investigated, but is probably similar to that of the owl. The food spectrum includes small vertebrates. Females and males usually bond for life and occupy a territory for several years. The clutch usually comprises two eggs, but in exceptional cases it can also have four. The laying interval is two to four days. It is only the female that breeds and is supplied with food by the male. The incubation period is 31 to 36 days. The nestlings are initially tucked and fed by the female alone. They leave the nest at around 20 to 35 days and are fledged at 52 days. You stay with the family for another 20 to 26 weeks. They become fertile in the second year of life.
supporting documents
Single receipts
- ↑ König et al., P. 325
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2 .
Web links
- Bubo ascalaphus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2013.