Fearful Owl
Asio solomonensis
A medium-sized owl with a large, powerful beak and talons. Distinctive and unmistakable. Bushy white crescents begin as eyebrows and run down along the edges of the bill to flare out as mustaches. Note the large orange eyes. Otherwise mostly rufous, blotched and streaked with black. Prefers primary or well-developed secondary forest up to 800 meters of elevation. Vocally poorly known, but a single drawn-out mournful note has been reported.
Identification
The fearful owl is a large forest owl growing to a length of about 38 cm (15 in). It has a rufous facial disk and distinct white eyebrows. The inner edge of the facial disk is also white. It is usually mottled brown with deep ochre underparts and blackish streaks. This species may be confused with the Solomon hawk owl, although the latter is slightly smaller and more slender. It is also similar in appearance to the laughing owl, which is now extinct.<p>Its call is similar to a clear human scream, increasing in volume and tone and emitted in a series, each pulse being repeated at intervals of ten seconds.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Asio solomonensis
- Authority
- (Hartert, EJO, 1901)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Asio
Range and habitat
The fearful owl is endemic to the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and to Choiseul Island and to Santa Isabel Island in the Solomon Islands. It is found in old-growth lowland and hill forest, usually in primary forest but also sometimes in nearby secondary forest and woodland edges to at least 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Though generally nesting in tree holes and cracks, nests of the fearful owl have been found on the epiphyte-covered branches of large fig trees (Ficus spp.), both in primary forest and close to the forest edge and near gardens.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Lesser Green Leafbird
Chloropsis cyanopogon
Male and females are bright green overall, but the male has a black-and-blue throat while the female sometimes shows a slight yellow tinge to the throat. The Lesser Green Leafbird is very similar in appearance to the Greater Green Leafbird, but note that the male Lesser Green Leafbird has a smaller black mask and traces of yellow on the forehead. Lack of blue traces in the wings distinguishes this species from the otherwise similar Blue-winged and Bornean Leafbirds. Inhabits lowland primary and secondary broadleaf evergreen forests, as well as adjacent plantations and large parks. Joins mixed-species foraging flocks, usually in the canopy.
Sumatran Leafbird
Chloropsis media
Uncommon and declining Sumatran endemic, restricted to foothill forest at 600-1000 meters. A typical leafbird, with a predominantly bright green body in both sexes. Male has a dark “half-mask” and throat, as well as a dark purplish-blue malar stripe. Female has a faint sky-blue malar stripe, but otherwise lacks dark coloration on her face. Both sexes have a yellow forecrown and a blue shoulder patch. Juvenile is unmarked green all over, with a faint yellow eyering. Compare with Greater Green Leafbird, Lesser Green Leafbird, and Blue-winged Leafbird, none of which have a yellow forecrown. Loud, musical song incorporates mimicry.
African Woolly-necked Stork
Ciconia microscelis
A dark-brown stork with green-bronze iridescence on the wings and breast. It has a distinctive white ruffled neck, a white tail, and a dark salmon-tipped bill. Resident and migrant. Individuals and small groups forage in rivers, shallow wetland margins, urban grassy areas, and flooded grasslands for insects and small vertebrates. May gather in groups of several hundred when conditions are suitable.
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