Sokoke Scops-Owl
Otus ireneae
A small owl with a tiny range along the East African coast. Note the yellow eyes, the small ear tufts, and the fine spotting below. The coloration varies from gray to dark brown to bright rufous. Found very locally in coastal forest. Often found roosting in pairs or family groups in the forest's lower levels. Similar in appearance to African Scops-Owl, but found in different habitats, and separated by the spotted rather than striped underparts. The call is a series of tooting notes, reminiscent of a tinkerbird or pygmy-owl.
识别特征
Sokoke scops owl is a fairly plain scops owl with small spotted markings on the underside. They are found in a number of color morphs ranging from grey through brown to an orange-rufous. Their call consists of a repetitive "too-too-too-too-too" reminiscent of the calls of tinkerbirds. Males have a higher-pitched, louder and clearer call compared to females, which have a softer, muffled, low-pitched call. They are territorial and pairs may duet in response to intruding conspecifics. The calling intensity of spontaneously calling owls varies with the time of night and phase of the moon.
分类信息
- 学名
- Otus ireneae
- 命名信息
- Ripley, 1966
- 目
- Strigiformes
- 科
- Strigidae
- 属
- Otus
分布与栖息地
Sokoke scops owl have a highly restricted range in coastal Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania. It was first discovered in 1965 in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve in coastal Kenya. Two other isolated populations have been subsequently discovered in the Dakatcha woodlands in Kenya and in the Manga and Kwamgumi forest reserves in the lowlands of the East Usambara mountains, Tanzania. Its global range is not thought to exceed 500 km2. Other isolated populations of this species may still persist in unsurveyed patches of suitable habitat. Sokoke scops owl has very specific habitat requirements of undisturbed lowland forest. In the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, it only occurs in forest dominated by Brachylaena and Cynometra, despite the presence of other forest types. It is thought that holes in Brachylaena trees provide suitable nesting sites for the owls and their removal may be responsible for population declines.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
Like other Otus owls, they are strictly nocturnal, making their biology difficult to study. They are most active immediately after dark and before dawn and travel further from their roost sites to forage when there is less illumination from the Moon. They roost in the dense understory of Cynometra trees during the day. The mean home-range of a pair is 11 ha and there is very little overlap with neighboring pairs.
保护状况
The IUCN places the Sokoke scops owl as globally Endangered on its Red List. Its dependence on undisturbed forest means that it is threatened by human disturbance such as logging, fires and encroachment. Suitable climatic conditions are predicted to shift southwards as the climate changes and be completely lost in the Usambaras by 2080. The isolation of suitable forest patches that are surrounded by human-modified habitats means that they risk extinction. Increasing populations of African elephants in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve may also affect their populations through habitat degradation. Habitat restoration and translocation to other suitable habitat patches have been suggested as potential conservation interventions that may help prevent their extinction. Call surveys conducted in 2005 and 2008 in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve place the population size of the reserve at 800 pairs. Densities in 1997 in the East Usambaras ranged from less than 1.5 pairs/km2 to 3 or 4 pairs/km2, and the population is estimated to be markedly smaller than the Arabuko-Sokoke population.
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Small and rotund with intricate brown, black, and white patterning. Some striking variation in plumage across range. Most males, including those in the eastern U.S., have bold black and white head pattern and heavy white spotting on belly. In Mexico, males can be entirely cinnamon-colored below and have a fully black head; some might have a white eyebrow or a dark chest band. Females are more consistent throughout range: look for buffy throat and eyebrow. Pairs or small groups are found in scrubby fields and brushy woods. Usually on the ground, but occasionally perches in trees when singing. The only quail native to the eastern U.S., where populations are declining sharply. Listen for distinctive “bob-WHITE!” whistle.
Yellow-throated Tanager
Iridosornis analis
A well-named and colorful tanager found in cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes. Blazing yellow throat stands out sharply against its otherwise mostly bluish plumage. Also note black face and rusty vent. No range overlap with the similar Purplish-mantled Tanager. Usually stays low in the forest, though occasionally ventures higher at a fruiting tree. Not strongly associated with mixed-species flocks.
Manus Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx dispar
A small blue-and-orange kingfisher with a bright waxy orange bill, ginger underparts, a white throat, and blue upperparts with a bright white neck spot. Female has a bright orange, not blue, head with a blue crown. Found in forest habitats, not necessarily near water, tolerating plantations and degraded forest. No other dwarf-kingfisher shares its range. Told from Common Kingfisher by smaller size and entirely red bill. Call apparently nearly identical that of other Melanesian dwarf-kingfishers: a high-pitched, weak repetitive whistle, often given in flight.
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