Seram Masked Owl
The Serameule (Tyto Almae ) is a species of owl in the family of barn owls ( Tytonidae ). It is endemic to the island of Seram, Moluccas. After 1987 for the first time caught a photo of a barn owl from the National Park Manusela on Seram the attention of experts, a copy of the Serameule was caught in a Japan Network on 10 February 2012, photographed, measured, analyzed and finally released. 2013, this species was scientifically described. The species name refers to Alma Jønsson, daughter of Knud Andreas Jønsson, one of the first to describe the Serameule.
Features
Dimensions are known only from the type specimen. It has a length of 30 cm and weighs 540 g The top, including the predominant part of the upper wing-coverts, is covered with dense and irregular reddish brown spots on a dark ocher- yellow or dark orange-yellow background. The reddish-brown markings on the distal part of the springs dominant and show a central light tan Subterminalfleck or a short line. At the top of the head, the central markings are white. Neck and upper mantle, flight feathers and greater wing-coverts show all the same color, but have a clear banded pattern with a few dark spots on the bright napkins. The tail is ocher - beige with five reddish-brown napkins. The heart-shaped facial disc is pale pinkish- cinnamon with a reddish brown border around the eyes. The entire face is surrounded with a ruff of dark yellow-orange with black feathers brown tips. The feathers of the underside, including the under wing-coverts and neck feathers have white bases. The featherless areas are mostly quite pale ocher yellow with some subterminal reddish brown spots. The axillaries are more reddish brown banded. The iris is dark brown. The beak is light horn color. The feet are dark pink. The claws are light gray. From the similar Tanimbarese Barn Owl (Tyto sororcula ) the Serameule differs by an ocher yellow instead of white or whitish underside. The area from the top of the head to the upper back has short white or yellow-brown shaft stripes. The middle and lower back are colored darker. The harness of the flight feathers and especially the tail feathers is cleaner. The bandages have either no or only traces of dark or light spots. The legs are feathered longer and complete. About the juvenile birds there is no information.
Habitat and behavior
The type specimen was caught in a wet, moss-covered upland forest at an altitude of 1350 m. The wood and beech plants ( dominant taxa: Castanopsis and Lithocarpus buruana ): characterized, Podocarpus plants, tree ferns, Rattanpalmen, bamboo, non- woody climbers, epiphytes and mosses, myrtle ( Syzygium dominant genus ). It is believed that the Serameule occurs in low densities in both the lowlands and the highlands. About their life nothing is known.
Status
The Serameule is currently not covered by the IUCN. There are only two known proofs. A photograph of a 1987 discovered barn owl that was previously mistaken for a Tanimbarese Barn Owl and the type specimen of Tytus Almae from the year of 2012. During the four weeks of fieldwork on Seram January-February 2012, no further barn owls species have been discovered, so that the range of the Tanimbarese Barn Owl is restricted to the islands of Buru and Tanimbarese. The forest is on Seram still reasonably intact. Large clearings exist only in the regions populated by people along the coast and in the west of the island. The national park covers about 10 percent of Manusela Seram and is probably important for long-term survival of this species, the few existing information make it difficult to assess the threat status, forest destruction, however, could be the most important potential threat in the future. Extensive research is needed to find out the most important details of occurrence, the risk status as well as the habitat and other ecological requirements.