Sandy scops owl
{{Short description|Species of owl}}
{{Speciesbox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}
| image = Otus icterorhynchus.jpg
| image_caption = An illustration of the holerythrus subspecies.
| taxon = Otus icterorhynchus
| authority = (Shelley, 1873)
| synonyms =
}}
The sandy scops owl (Otus icterorhynchus), or cinnamon scops owl, is an owl from the family Strigidae found in Africa.
Taxonomy
The sandy scops owl is thought to be basal in the lineage of the genus Otus, along with the Sokoke scops owl (Otus ireneae), but there has been no genetic material for testing from the sandy scops owl.{{cite journal | last1 = Fuchs| first1= Jérôme |display-authors=etal | year = 2008 | title = Tracing the colonization history of the Indian Ocean scops-owls (Strigiformes: Otus) with further insight into the spatio-temporal origin of the Malagasy avifauna | doi = 10.1186/1471-2148-8-197 | pmid= 18611281 | journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology | volume=8 | page=197| pmc = 2483963 | doi-access= free }} In addition, some authorities consider that the subspecies of sandy scops owl should be treated as two different species.{{cite web | url = http://www.hbw.com/species/sandy-scops-owl-otus-icterorhynchus | title = Sandy Scops-owl (Otus icterorhynchus) | access-date = 28 October 2016 | publisher = Lynx Edicions|work = Handbook of the birds of the World Alive}}
Subspecies
Two subspecies are currently recognised:{{cite web | url = http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=9CD0C8FE4C03278E | title = Sandy Scops-Owl Otus icterorhynchus (Shelley, 1873) | access-date = 28 October 2016 | publisher = Denis Lepage|work = Avibase}}
- Otus icterorhynchus icterorhynchus: West Africa
- Otus icterorhynchus holerythrus: northwestern central Africa.
Description
A small owl which has an overall pale rufous colour, a plain face, a pale yellow bill and yellow eyes. The pale stripe along the shoulders is quite obvious. The adults are pale rufous brown, finely spotted with white and barred with buff. The underparts are paler and more rufous with buff bars and white spots on the belly and vent. The tail, flight feathers and greater upperwing coverts are rufous barred with black. Length is about {{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}}, and wingspan is {{cvt|45|cm|abbr=on}}.{{cite book |last1= Kemp |first1= Alan |last2= Kemp |first2= Meg |year= 1998 |title= Birds of Prey of Africa and its Islands |pages= 314–315 |publisher= New Holland |isbn= 1-85974-100-2}}
=Voice=
Distribution and habitat
The sandy scops owl has a scattered distribution across the African tropical rainforest ; it has been recorded from Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
The sandy scops owl occurs in lowland evergreen forest, open canopy forest and scrub, or in open forest mosaic land.{{cite web | url = http://www.avibirds.com/html/Owls/Sandy_Scops_Owl.html#.WBM--aPIYyI | title = Profile Sandy Scops Owl |access-date= 28 October 2016 |publisher= Avibirds |work= Avibirds.Owls}}
==Behaviour==
The sandy scops owl is rarely seen and little is known about its habits. It is probably crepuscular and insectivorous feeding largely on grasshoppers and crickets. The breeding season is probably during February and March.
References
{{Reflist}}
- [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=2163&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet]
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20001208064100/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/7800400.htm Article title]}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1266781}}
Category:Birds of the African tropical rainforest