Ryukyu Scops-Owl
Otus elegans
Diminutive brownish owl with short ear tufts and pale face narrowly bordered in black. Combination of overall brown coloration, yellow eyes, and small size distinguishes it from the larger Oriental and Japanese Scops-Owls. Like other scops-owls, often difficult to see; listen for its hiccuping hoots, given in a long series. Inhabits forests and adjacent edges throughout its range.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Otus elegans
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1852)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Otus
Range and habitat
The distribution of the Otus elegans botelensis is restricted by the distribution of naturally occurring tree holes. The size of the holes is usually a diameter at breast height (dbh) of more than 38 cm. Different type of trees provides differing quantities of such holes for the Otus elegans botelensis. Observation had revealed that tree holes are more likely to form in Pometia pinnata compared to other types of tree, therefore, areas with lots of Pometia pinnata have greater densities of the Otus elegans botelensis.: 7 It is found on the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, on Lanyu Island off south-east Taiwan, and on the Batanes and Babuyan Islands off northern Luzon, Philippines, in tropical or subtropical evergreen forest. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Yellow-legged Buttonquail
Turnix tanki
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New Zealand King Shag
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A large, thick-necked black-and-white marine shag endemic to the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand. Shows pink feet, a distinct white patch on the wings, and a blue eye-ring. Breeding adults have yellow, warty caruncles on either side of the bill. Very wary of humans and boats. Juvenile birds have dull brown upperparts and light facial skin. Similar to the Pied Shag, but white facial feathers remain below the bill; the Pied Shag has a predominantly white face that reaches the eye and a slimmer neck. Stewart Island and Chatham Islands Shag are very similar, but the three do not overlap in range.
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