Biology:Sulu hawk-owl
| Sulu hawk-owl | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Ninox |
| Species: | N. reyi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ninox reyi Oustalet, 1880
| |
The Sulu hawk-owl (Ninox reyi) or Sulu boobook, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines . It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it a distinct species.[3] It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Description
EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small owl of forest on the Sulu Islands. Uniformly barred, with brown upperparts and head, orange-brown underparts, white speckling on the wing, a broken pale bar behind the shoulder, a pale belly, long whiskers around the face, and yellow eyes. Note the white throat patch. Probably the only owl in its range except for Mantanani scops owl, but Sulu Boobook is rufous rather than gray and lacks the black line around the face. Voice includes strange clucking notes starting with a rapid series ending in three slower notes: “kukukukukuku klok-klok-klok.”."[4]
Among the species complex, this owl is unique with its call is a series of clucks rather than the typical screeching of the other Philippine hawk-owls in the species complex. It is distinguished by its heavy barring on its head and belly and white throat-patch and facial disk.
It is medium sized along the Mindoro hawk-owl within Philippine hawk-owl species complex at 20cm tall. This is in between the larger Camiguin hawk-owl, Romblon hawk-owl and Cebu hawk-owls at 25cm and the smaller Luzon hawk-owl and Mindanao hawk-owl which are 15-18cm tall. [5]
Habitat and Conservation Status
Its habitat is in tropical moist lowland primary and secondary forests up to 700 meters above sea level. It is also occasionally seen on forest edge, clearings and plantations.[5] On Tawi-Tawi, the species is also found in mature mangroves and large trees in the vicinity of villages [6]
The IUCN Red List classifies this bird as vulnerable with population estimates of 1,000 to 2,499 mature individuals. This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of legal and illegal logging, mining, conversion into farmlands or palm oil plantations and urbanization. Due to the rapid loss of habitat in the Sulu Archipelago, many of the birds endemic to the region like the Sulu hornbill, Tawitawi brown dove, Blue-winged racket-tail and the Sulu pygmy woodpecker are all threatened with extinction.
There are no species specific conservation programs going on at the moment.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2017). "Ninox reyi". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) 2017: e.T22725499A110051404. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22725499A110051404.en. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22725499/0. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ↑ "Appendices | CITES". https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php.
- ↑ New Owl Species: Camiguin Hawk-Owl, Cebu Hawk-Owl Discovered In Philippines
- ↑ "Sulu Hawk-owl". https://ebird.org/species/sulboo1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Guides. pp. 172-177.
- ↑ International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Ninox reyi". https://www.iucnredlist.org/en.
- Kennedy, R.S., Gonzales P.C., Dickinson E.C., Miranda, Jr, H.C., Fisher T.H. (2000) A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Wikidata ☰ Q180693 entry
 |
