Bay owl
Maskeneule ( Phodilus badius )
The mask Owls ( Phodilus ) are a genus within the family of barn owls. The genus includes two species that occur exclusively in Southeast Asia.
Features
These are relatively small owls with a mask-like face veil, which is V-shaped. The face veil of barn owls, the second genus of Tytonidae, however, is more heart-shaped. The mask owls face veil of an edge very stiff springs is surrounded. The wings are round and the tarsi very short. The eyes are large and black - brown in relation to body size.
The distribution of Maskeneule is not contiguous. The Sri Lanka - Maskeneule occurs in the extreme south-west of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. The Maskeneule has a much larger distribution area, which extends from Nepal, Sikkim and Assam to the Philippines. Both species inhabit dense forests and are nocturnal.
Species
The genus only two types are usually associated with: the Maskeneule and the Sri Lanka - Maskeneule. Both species occur in Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka - Maskeneule will be treated in older literature as a subspecies of Maskeneule. In recent literature, it is classified as a separate species, as differ, among other things their vocalizations clearly from the Maskeneule. DNA analyzes that support this classification, are still pending.
The third type, the Prigogine - owl is attributed to the mask owls sometimes. The occurring only in a small region near the Lake Tanganyika species has a superficial resemblance to Maskeneule. Claus king suspected, however, that this similarity has arisen only due to convergent evolution.
In detail, thus belong to the genus:
- Maskeneule ( Phodilus badius )
- Sri Lanka Maskeneule ( Phodilus assimilis )