Philippine Eagle-owl

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Philippine Eagle Owl
photo by Michael Agustin
photo by Michael Agustin
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Bubo
Species: B. philippensis
Binomial name
Bubo philippensis
Kaup, 1851

The Philippine Eagle Owl, Bubo philippensis is an endangered and rare bird species belonging to the Strigidae family.

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

The Philippine Eagle Owl is endemic to Philippines, and one of the largest owls in the world. It has a wingspan of 48 inches (120 cm). Locally known as “kuwago” or “bukao”, it is found near lakes in lowland jungles in the Philippine islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Mindanao, Luzon and Leyte.

What the eagle-owl eats is a mystery for the species is poorly known, and, like the lesser eagle-owl (Mimizuku guerneyi), it lives only in lowland forest, its large size requires large tracts of forest to maintain populations.[2]

The eagle-owl lays one egg per clutch with incubation period of 35 days.[3]

[edit] Breeding in captivity

In December, 2005, Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (NFEFI) in Bacolod City was the first conservation center in the world to successfully hatch a Philippine Eagle Owl (aptly nicknamed Bubo) in captivity and it has the only breeding pair of these owls in captivity anywhere in the world.

On November 21, 2005 conservationists at the center made world history when it successfully bred in captivity a Philippine Eagle Owl. Notably NFEFI had first secured the first-ever captive breeding loan between DENR-accredited institutions in the Philippines, consisting of three pairs of eagle-owls from the Avilon Montalban Zoological Park in Montalban, Rizal and transported them to Bacolod in December 2002. Two pairs showed attraction, and the couple “Hinahon” and “Suplada,” -- local term for “calm” and “snob” -- made courtship. It was on November 21, 2005, that an owlet was discovered in the nest, about three days old, and named “Bubo.” As Bubo grew, Suplada taught it how to tear pieces of mouse meat, thus rearing it.

In 2006, Suplada also laid one egg and another owlet was hatched through the aid of the World Owl Trust, Flora and Fauna International-Philippine Biodiversity Conservation program and the Avilon Zoological Park in Montalban Rizal.[4]

[edit] Subspecies

  • Bubo philippensis philippensis
  • Bubo philippensis mindanensis

[edit] References

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Bubo philippensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map, a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable, and the criteria used
  2. ^ Fieldmuseum.org, Vanishing Treasures
  3. ^ DED, The DED in the Philippines
  4. ^ Visayan Star, Rare owl lays egg

[edit] External links


[edit] Notes