Papuan Hawk Owl

Papuan Hawk Owl
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Uroglaux
Mayr, 1937
Species: U. dimorpha
Binomial name
Uroglaux dimorpha
(Salvadori, 1874)

The Papuan Hawk Owl, Uroglaux dimorpha is a medium-sized, sleek owl with a porportionately small head, long tail, and short, rounded wings. Its white facial disk is small and indistinct, with black streaks, and white eyebrows. It has buff colored upperparts and barred black and brown underparts. Its eyes are bright yellow, and it has a gray to black bill. The male is larger than the female, which is unusual among owls; in most owl species, the female is larger than the male.[2]

Though generally found in lowland rainforest or gallery forest in lowland savanna, the Papuan Hawk Owl is occasionally found at elevations up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level.[1] It is probably a resident species in its restricted range, New Guinea.

Not much is known about the status of this species, as insufficient data exists to quantify its population numbers.[1] It is rarely seen, and may be threatened due to deforestation.

References

  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International (2009). Uroglaux dimorpha. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2010.
  2. ^ Duncan, James R. (2003). Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival. Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books. p. 33. ISBN 1552978451.