Scops owl

African Scops-Owl ( Otus senegalensis )

The scops owls ( Otus ) are a genus of authentics owls ( Strigidae ). This includes about 50 species that occur in the Palaearctic, the Afrotropical, the Oriental, in the Indo- Malayan ecozone and with a kind in the northern Australis. The greatest species diversity is in the indomalaiischen region where many island species have evolved. In the southern Central Europe lives only the eponymous scops owl ( Otus scops ). She is among the authentics owls the only obligate long-distance migrant.

Features

Owls of the genus Otus are small to medium sized birds with a maximum of 28 centimeters body length. The smallest species weigh about 50 g, the heaviest about 300 grams.

They are inconspicuous, usually cowhide colors colored gray-brown or brown; the belly is dark längsgestrichelt significantly in many species. Some species show different (usually reddish-brown or gray-brown ) color morphs. The information presented in all types ear tufts are widely spaced; in some species they end up blunt, so that the head receives a horned look. The ear tufts are of different lengths depending on the type and are often applied, so that some species are referred to as ohrlos. All scops owls have a face veil, the deckle is usually significantly. In some species the legs are feathered to the toes, but in others largely featherless.

Most scops owls are nocturnal hunters of large flying insects. Vertebrates such as mice, shrews, birds, reptiles and amphibians are rare and regularly captures only of the larger species, but play as an opportunity to prey on all types a certain role. Some species specialize in hunting nocturnal geckos.

Most scops owls are resident birds. Besides the Eurasian scops owl, where most populations are obligate remote puller, pull the northern populations of the strips Scops Owl ( Otus brucei ), the Japan - Halsbandeule ( Otus semi torques) as well as those of the Oriental scops owl ( Otus sunia ). Small scale vertical hikes and compensatory movements but are also reports of other species.

As far as known are scops owls primarily hole-nesters; they use natural or woodpecker holes as nesting site. In a few species breeds in buildings, and the use of birds of prey or crow nests as Nistunterlage are known.

Dissemination

Scops owls are in Africa except the deserts and the rain forest belt, southern Europe and Central, South and Southeast Asia spread. The genus is absent in central and northern Europe, and largely in the boreal zone of Asia. Farthest north, the Eurasian scops owl and the Oriental scops owl penetrate, the northernmost settlement areas are on the southern edge of the taiga, or in riverine trees on Sakhalin. In North and South America, the genus Otus is not represented in Australia breed no owls of the genus Otus.

Many species are endemic to very small areas or on islands. Very large, contiguous areas are of the Eurasian scops owl ( Otus scops ), the Oriental scops owl ( Otus sunia ), the strip - scops owl ( Otus brucei ), the collared scops owl ( Otus Lettia ), the Hindu Halsbandeule ( 0tus bakkamoena ) and the African Scops Owl ( Otus senegalensis ) inhabits.

The habitats of the scops owls are very diverse; However, loose tree-lined landscape structures of various kinds seem to be most attractive for most species of this genus. Some species prefer dry habitats and penetrate into the peripheral areas of deserts before. The East Asian scops owl, however, are also residents of tropical forests. But this usually avoid dense forests and prefer open forest regions, fault zones by logging, fire, or storm events, as well as the outlying areas of the forests. Also riverine trees are inhabited by many tropical species preferred. Often strong anthropogenic designed landscape structures such as rubber or orchards, cemeteries or large parks are used as habitats. For some species the Kokospalmensäume along the tropical coasts form suitable habitats.

Species of the genus Otus occur in both lowland areas as well as in montane regions. Thus brooding as the Manado - scops owl ( Otus manadensis ) in parks and in the peripheral areas of many coastal cities of Sulawesi as well as in the mountainous cloud forests at altitudes of over 2,500 meters.

System

Depending on the scientific opinion includes the genus Otus 43-51 species. In some species of the island of Comoros Sundaarchipels and the species status is unclear.

Together with the genera Megascops, Macabra, Pyrroglaux, Gymnoglaux, Psiloscops and Mimizuku forms Otus within the subfamily Striginae the tribe Otini. The monotypic genera Pyrroglaux, Gymnoglaux, Mimizuku and the two types of the new species Ptilopsis have been recently separated from Otus .. The separation of the genus Otus of Mimizuku was revised by a genetic study in 2011 and the Rotohreule 2012 by the International Ornithological Union in the genus zurückgestellt.Auch Otus scops owls formerly the associated screech owls of the Nearctic and Neotropics are genetically already separated far from the genus Otus and are summarized in the genus Megascops.

The Ponderosa Scops Owl ( Otus flammeolus ), the applicable, after removal of Megascops as the only Nearctic representative of the scops owl, is still very closely related according to the latest DNA studies with either Otus with Megascops. For them beat König & Weick the generic name before Psiloscops. Some, in the current classification as a subspecies of the Hindu Halsbandeule ( Otus bakkamoena ) listed taxa obtained from König & Weick species status.

König & Weick 2008 include the following 51 species to the genus Otus.

• Flores Scops Owl ( Otus alfredi ) Hindu Halsbandeule ( Otus bakkamoena )
• Nicobar Scops-Owl ( Otus alius ) Ästling the Rajah Scops Owl ( Otus brookii )
• Angelina Scops Owl ( Otus angelinae )
• Hindu Halsbandeule ( Otus bakkamoena )
• Andaman Scops-Owl ( Otus balli )
• Beccari Scops Owl ( Otus beccarii )
• Raja scops owl ( Otus brookii )
• Strip scops owl ( Otus brucei )
• Anjouan Scops Owl ( Otus capnodes )
• Sangihe Scops Owl ( Otus Collari ) African Scops-Owl ( Otus senegalensis )
• Jewelry scops owl ( Otus elegans)
• Enggano Scops Owl ( Otus enganensis )
• Palawan Halsbandeule ( Otus fuliginosus )
• Hartlaub Scops Owl ( Otus hartlaubi )
• Cory's scops owl ( Otus icterorhynchus )
• Seychelles Scops-Owl ( Otus insularis )
• Sokoke scops owl ( Otus irenae )
• Sunda Scops Owl ( Otus lempiji )
• Collared scops owl ( Otus Lettia )
• Luzon Scops-Owl ( Otus longicornis )
• Lombok Scops Owl ( Otus jolandae )
• Moluccan Scops Owl ( Otus magicus )
• Manado Scops Owl ( Otus manadensis )
• Philippine Scops Owl ( Otus mantananensis )
• Philippines - Halsbandeule ( Otus megalotis )
• Mentawai Scops Owl ( Otus Mentawi )
• Mindoro Scops Owl ( Otus mindorensis )
• Mindanao Scops Owl ( Otus mirus )
• Mohéli Scops Owl ( Otus moheliensis )
• Comoro Scops Owl ( Otus pauliani )
• Pemba Scops-Owl ( Otus pembaensis )
• Reddish Scops Owl ( Otus rufescens )
• Madagascar Scops Owl ( Otus rutilus )
• White-fronted Scops Owl ( Otus Sagittatus )
• Scops owl ( Otus scops )
• Japan Halsbandeule ( Otus semi torques)
• African Scops-Owl ( Otus senegalensis )
• Siau Scops Owl ( Otus siaoensis )
• Wallace scops owl ( Otus silvicola )
• Spotted scops owl, Fuchseule ( Otus spilocephalus )
• Oriental Scops Owl ( Otus sunia )
• Simeulue Scops Owl ( Otus umbra )
• Serendib Scops Owl ( Otus thilo hoffmanni )
• Stresemann- scops owl ( Otus stresemanni )
• Torotoroka Scops Owl ( Otus madagascariensis )
• Mayotte Scops Owl ( Otus mayottensis )
• Arabia Scops Owl ( Otus pamelae )
• Socotra Scops Owl ( Otus socotranus )
• Wetar Scops Owl ( Otus tempestatis )
• Sula Scops Owl ( Otus sulaensis )
• Kalidupa Scops Owl ( Otus kalitupae )
• Singapore scops owl ( Otus cnephaeus )
• ( Ponderosa scops owl ( Otus flammeolus ) - at König & Weick it forms the monotypic genus Psiloscops )

Inventory ratios and hazard

The existence conditions of many species of this genus are very difficult to assess. The majority of the species inhabited areas or small islands and is therefore only in a small number of individuals before, so that in some an increased threat potential exists despite currently stable inventory ratios. The growing population narrows the habitat of the species, in addition, especially the East Asian scops owls and those of the Comoros are threatened by the many places totally uncontrolled progressive felling and by the conversion of primary forests to plantations. Very little is known about many of the species; particularly lacking for many of the potentially endangered species reliable information on the breeding biology and diet almost completely, so that the foundations of effective protection measures hardly exist.

Birdlife International lists in the genus Otus only 43 species. 18 of them are in any danger level. 11 species are near threatened ( " near threatened "). 13 species are listed in the hazard levels, of which 4 as threatened with extinction ( " critically endangered "). For a type ( Otus alius ) from the Nicobar Islands, the data location for a stock assessment is not sufficient.

Threatened with extinction are according to BirdLife International the following ways:

• Anjouan Scops Owl ( Otus capnodes ): She was a long time lost and was found again in 1992. The total population is less than 200 breeding pairs.
• Mohéli Scops Owl ( Otus moheliensis ): This Scops Owl was first described in 1998. Your stock of about 150 breeding pairs is threatened by increasing logging.
• Comoro Scops Owl ( Otus pauliani ): The total amount of this owl is likely to be, although still about 1,000 breeding pairs; it can apparently also keep in clearing areas if at least stop some hollow trees. Endangered it is mainly due to the introduction of the Hirtenmainas ( Acridotheres tristis ), which is far superior than cave competitor of only about 19 centimeters scops owl.
• Siau Scops Owl ( Otus siaoensis ): This species is only known by a bellows. There are no live evidence. In Siau, a small volcanic island north of Sulawesi, deforestation progresses very rapidly, so that the possible habitats of these owl are highly disturbed and rapidly decrease in extent. If the Siau Scops Owl is not extinct, it is at least very rare.

Swell