Desert Owl
Strix hadorami
A shy, medium-sized owl of desert canyons. Sandy-brown overall with pale underparts and yellow eyes. Face and underparts are lightly marked, while the wing feathers and tail are boldly barred. Breeds in crevices, caves, and cliffs in desert canyons. Male song is a soft hoot, "Hu! Hu-hu hu-hu."
Taxonomy
This species was known for over a century by the scientific name Strix butleri, but a 2015 study demonstrated that the holotype of S. butleri was not actually a member of this species, but was instead most likely an Omani owl (which had been described as a new species, S. omanensis, in 2013). Because the allocation of Strix butleri to the Omani owl left the more widespread species without a name, the authors of the study named it S. hadorami after Israeli ornithologist Hadoram Shirihai, and gave it the new common name desert tawny owl (which has been subsequently shortened to desert owl by some authors).
- Scientific name
- Strix hadorami
- Authority
- Kirwan, Schweizer & Copete, 2015
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Strix
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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