Omani owl

Omani owl
Conservation status

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Strix
Species: S. omanensis
Binomial name
Strix omanensis
Magnus S Robb, Arnoud B van den Berg & Mark Constantine 2013

The Omani owl (Strix omanensis) is an owl of the Strix recently described from Oman. S. omanensis has been photographed and its calls recorded, but no specimen has been examined closely. The owl is the only bird believed to be endemic to Oman.[2][3]

Discovery

The call of the Omani owl was first heard by Magnus Robb[lower-alpha 1] on the night of 23–24 March 2013 whilst attempting to record the sound of pallid scops owls in the Al Hajar Mountains. The call was identified by Robb as likely to be from a Strix, and different from calls of other owls in the area. On the night of 27 April, Robb and Arnoud van den Berg[lower-alpha 2] played a recording of the calls, and a second owl responded. They came within 40m of the owl which was shaped like a Strix. The call of the second owl was deeper than that of the first. S. omanensis was first photographed by van den Berg, in late May[4] Details of the new species were published in Dutch Birding in October 2013, at which time two pairs had been identified along with two or three other individuals.[3][4] Although no specimen had been examined up close and no DNA had been collected, Robb et al believe that the quality of audio and visual recordings of this owl is enough to claim it as a new species of Strix.[3]

An application has been submitted to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature asking to consider the Omani owl to be a nomen dubium since a holotype of the owl has not been collected.[5] However, this application has not yet been published by the ICZN.

BirdLife International has recognised the Omani owl as a species. BirdLife have classified the owl as data deficient on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.[1]

Kirwan et al (2015) have suggested that the holotype for Hume's owl (S. butleri) is a different species to owls commonly ascribed to be Hume's owl. They suggested the holotype S. butleri may be an Omani owl, or that the Omani owl is a synonym, sub species, or close relative of S. butleri. They consider the widespread species generally referred to as Hume's owl as an undescribed species, which they describe as Strix hadorami Kirwan et al 2015, the 'Desert Tawny Owl'.[6]

Description

The Omani owl is similar in appearance to Hume's owl, they both share features that no other Strix has such as long legs and orange eyes. The two species have different plumage, and distinct calls. S. omanensis has a bi-coloured pale and dark grey face, dark greyish brown upperparts, pale underparts with long, narrow vertical dark streaks, banded wings, and a banded tail.[3]

Habitat

The owls observed appear to live high up rocky cliffs, and were not seen to live in the Wadis.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ Magnus Robb is a sound recordist and author specialising in wildlife.
  2. ↑ Arnoud van den Berg is the editor of Dutch Birding and a wildlife photographer and sound recordist.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Taylor, Joe. "The newly described taxon Strix omanensis is to be recognised as a species by BirdLife: list as Data Deficient?". www.birdlife.org. BirdLife International. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Owl recorded in Oman could be a new species". BBC News. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Robb, Magnus; Arnoud B van den Berg & Mark Constantine (4 October 2013). "A new species of Strix owl from Oman" (PDF). Dutch Birding 35 (5): 275–310.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Robb, Magnus. "Omani owl - diary of discovery - by Magnus Robb". Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Low, Martyn. "Case 3649". iczn.org. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Kirwan, GUY M.; Schweizer, Manuel; Copete, José Luis (2015). "Multiple lines of evidence confirm that Hume's Owl Strix butleri (A. O. Hume, 1878) is two species, with description of an unnamed species (Aves: Non-Passeriformes: Strigidae)". Zootaxa 3904: 28. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.2.

External links