DOCSLIB.ORG

Observations on Wintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus Brucei at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar District, Gujarat

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Observations on Wintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus Brucei at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar District, Gujarat Observations on wintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar district, Gujarat Harkirat Singh Sangha & Dhanraj Malik Sangha, H. S., & Malik, D., 2010. Observations onwintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar district, Gujarat. Indian Birds 5 (6): 176–177. Harkirat Singh Sangha, B-27, Gautam Marg, Hanuman Nagar, Jaipur 302021, Rajasthan, India. Email: [email protected] Dhanraj Malik, Camp Desert Coursers, Zainabad, District Surindernagar, 382765 Gujarat, India. Email: [email protected] Manuscript received on 5 May 2009. Introduction and a third from Thane (1960). The fourth is in the collection of St The Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei is found from the Middle-East Xaviers High School, obtained from Andheri (1965). (south-central Turkey, northern Syria, Iraq, Iran, eastern Arabia) Thus it has been recorded only on few occasions from India, to western and central Asia, south to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and all the recent records are not from Maharashtra but from and north-western India. Although it is present all year round western and northern India. A bird was caught and measured on in south-eastern Arabia, and Iran, other populations are mostly 13 November 1984 at Rajkot, Gujarat (Mundkur 1986). A specimen migratory, wintering in the Levant region, north-eastern Egypt, was collected from Ambala, Haryana and sent to the BNHS in Arabia, and in India south to Mumbai (König et al. 1999). It breeds January 1982 (Roberts 1992). A pair was observed roosting in the from Palestine to the Aral Sea and Afghanistan, and winters at the branches of the only tree below Hanle monastery, Ladakh, on 8 southern part of this range, and northern India (Marshall 1978), October 1997 (Pfister 2001). preferring cultivated, and riverine woodlands, and in northern India, and Pakistan, stony semi-deserts, steep cliffs, and rocky A new record from Gujarat gorges where trees grow larger than bush size (Voous 1988). On 15 October 2008, this rare owl was discovered by chance by Specimens of the nominate brucei (breeding in northern Central DM in his wildlife resort, Desert Coursers, Zainabad (23º16´51N Asia) have been collected in autumn, and winter, in Pakistan, and 71º46´09E), in the Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar district, the Mumbai region of western India, but not elsewhere (Cramp Gujarat, India. It was roosting in a tree by day. Subsequently one 1985). From Afghanistan, Paludan (1959) has mentioned “one more bird was found here, roosting in a hollow of a wall, and record (Wakhan)”, but doubted that it bred there. a third was discovered in the beginning of February 2009. HSS Ali & Ripley (1981) consider the Pallid Scops Owl an imperfectly known species within the Indian Subcontinent. In Pakistan it is reported from Gilgit, Punjab (Salt Range), Quetta district, Baluchistan—from Chaman to central Makran. It is recorded only during winter in Sind (Murray 1884). Indian records are from Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Ahmednagar (its type locality) (Ripley 1982). Its distributional status in Pakistan is that of a scarce resident and local migrant, summering in the hills, with a few winter records from the plains. Kylänpää (2000) mentions Pallid Scops Owl as a rare resident around Sheikh Budin, Dera Ismail Khan in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan but gives no other information. In India it is a rare visitor (Grimmett et al 1998). del Hoyo et al. (1999) describe it as rare visitor in India. Baker (1927) described it as a straggling visitor to India. Ali (1945) did not find it during his 1943–1944 surveys in Kachchh; nor has he listed it for Gujarat (Ali 1956). However, Dharmakumsinji (1955) stated that it was a rare straggler in Saurashtra and recorded collecting specimens at Hathab, Bhavnagar. H. S. Sangha According to Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) it disperses in winter to the plains of Pakistan, “commonly reaching western Maharashtra (numerous verified specimens)”. However, Prasad (2003, 2006) gives its status as unclear, and rare, in Maharashtra. Abdulali (1972) presents details of only four specimens from Maharashtra, in the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS) collection: two old skins from Pune (1882) and Ratnagiri (1874), Fig. 1. Day-roosting Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei. 176 Indian Birds Vol. 5 No. 6 (Publ. 6th May 2010) Sangha & Malik: Pallid Scops Owl observed them from 29 to 31 December 2008, and on 31 January indica and khejri Prosopis cineraria trees, attracted the birds. 2009. The owls spent most of the day motionless at their daytime roost. One bird, holed up in a wall, was relaxed, and kept its Description plumage rather loose. Another, which roosted in neem and khejri, effectively disguised itself as a snag. Scops-owls (Genus Otus) have an intricate pattern of colouring Although both birds were tolerant of human presence, the one resembling bark and dry leaves, which camouflage them roosting in trees was seen changing its roost due to disturbance appropriately among regional flora, while it roosts in the daytime from people. It flew a short distance into another tree if disturbed (Marshall 1978). The bird exhibits a whole cline of colour variation by day. from sandier to grey plumages (Mikkola 1983). The bird at DM did not hear them calling any time. Zainabad was the nominate brucei, rather grey with sharply The owls were present till 1 April 2009, after which there were defined streaks. Of the four distinct size-groups at least nominate no further reports. brucei migrates to northern India (Cramp 1985). The identification was fairly straightforward facilitated by the best of views and good light conditions. Stop press: 2009–2010 winter One bird, roosting upright in a tree, appeared rather slim, with The first Pallid Scops Owl arrived at Desert Coursers on 27 October its plumage sleeked and its rounded ear-tufts raised (Fig. 1). 2009, and two more were seen about a fortnight later. They spent However, at night it appeared dumpier, with relaxed body the winter there, and were last seen on 12 March 2010. Most likely plumage, a more rounded head, and ear-tufts only slightly raised they were the same birds as the previous year. with feathers of head held loose (Figs. 2–3). Overall the bird looked creamy-grey with fine sharp black Acknowledgement streaks. Under parts were comparatively paler with black We thank Aasheesh Pittie for his help with additional references. striations thicker and longer on breast side. These appeared to become narrower and sharper towards tips, whereas on Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops they normally become slightly broader and References diffuse. Ali, S. 1945. The birds of Kutch. Kutch; Bombay: Government of Kutch; Oxford University Press. The facial disc appeared paler, greyer and much plainer- Ali, S. 1956. The birds of Gujarat. Bombay: Gujarat Research Society. looking with tiny grey specks, and short whitish eyebrows. Ali, S., & Ripley, S. D. 1981. Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan together The bristles at sides of bill were creamy white. Feathers of ruff with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Stone Curlews to bordering facial disc were black and rather prominent, the border Owls. Vol. 3. 2nd ed. Delhi: Oxford University Press. not developed near forecrown and chest. Abdulali, H. 1972. A catalogue of the birds in the collection of the The birds kept their eyes closed during the day but at night Bombay Natural History Society—11. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69 iris appeared bright yellow (although in Figs. 2–3 they look quite (1): 102–129. different in flash light). The bill was horn-brown, dark black on Baker, E. C. S. 1927. Fauna of British India. Birds. Vol. 4. 2nd ed. London: Taylor & Francis. tip and feet light grey, claws were light horn at base but tips lead Dharmakumarsinhji, R. S. 1955. Birds of Saurashtra. Bhavnagar: Published coloured. by the author. Cramp, S. (Ed.) 1985. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Behaviour North Africa. The birds of the Western Palearctic.Volume IV. Terns to Woodpeckers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Three birds wintered in Desert Courser Camp, Zainabad from Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., & Inskipp, T. 1998. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 15 October 2008 to 1 April 2009. Two birds were seen regularly London: Christopher Helm. in the camp during this period. A third bird was found towards König, C., Weick, F., & Becking, J. 1999. Owls: a guide to the owls of the world. the end of winter. The camp, on the eastern edge of the Little Sussex: Pica Press. Rann of Kachchh, is the better-wooded part, for miles, in the area. Kylänpää, J. 2000. Birds of Dera Ismail Khan District of NorthWest Frontier Undoubtedly, this oasis, with its scattering of neem Azadirachta Province in Pakistan. Forktail. 16: 15–28. Marshall, J. T. 1978. Systematics of smaller Asian night birds based on voice. Ornithological Monographs 25: Pp. i–viii, 1–58. Mikkola, H. 1983. Owls of Europe. Calton: T & A D Poyser. Mundkur, T. 1986. Occurrence of Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei (Hume) in Rajkot, Gujarat. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 26 (1–2): 10–11. Murray, J. A. 1884. The Vertebrate Zoology of Sind: a systematic account. London; Bombay: Richardson & Co; Education Society’s Press. Paludan, K. 1959. The 3rd Danish Expedition to Central Asia. Zoological resutls 25. On the birds of Afghanistan. Videnskabelige Meddelelser Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening 122: [ii], 1–332. Prasad, A. 2003. Annotated checklist of the birds of western Maharashtra. Buceros: 8(2&3): 1–174. Prasad, A. 2006. Birds of western Maharashtra: a reference guide. Goa: Other India Press. Pfister, O. 1999. Owls in Ladakh. Oriental Bird Club Bulletin 29: 22–28. Pfister, O. 2001. Birds recorded during visits to Ladakh, India, from 1994 to 1997.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Strigiformes) and Lesser Nighthawks (Chodeiles Acutipennis
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE The Evolution of Quiet Flight in Owls (Strigiformes) and Lesser Nighthawks (Chodeiles acutipennis) A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology by Krista Le Piane December 2020 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Christopher J. Clark, Chairperson Dr. Erin Wilson Rankin Dr. Khaleel A. Razak Copyright by Krista Le Piane 2020 The Dissertation of Krista Le Piane is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my Oral Exam Committee: Dr. Khaleel A. Razak (chairperson), Dr. Erin Wilson Rankin, Dr. Mark Springer, Dr. Jesse Barber, and Dr. Scott Curie. Thank you to my Dissertation Committee: Dr. Christopher J. Clark (chairperson), Dr. Erin Wilson Rankin, and Dr. Khaleel A. Razak for their encouragement and help with this dissertation. Thank you to my lab mates, past and present: Dr. Sean Wilcox, Dr. Katie Johnson, Ayala Berger, David Rankin, Dr. Nadje Najar, Elisa Henderson, Dr. Brian Meyers Dr. Jenny Hazelhurst, Emily Mistick, Lori Liu, and Lilly Hollingsworth for their friendship and support. I thank the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM), the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) at UC Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History (ANMH), and the Natural History Museum (NHM) in Tring for access to specimens used in Chapter 1. I would especially like to thank Kimball Garrett and Allison Shultz for help at LACM. I also thank Ben Williams, Richard Jackson, and Reddit user NorthernJoey for permission to use their photos in Chapter 1. Jessica Tingle contributed R code and advice to Chapter 1 and I would like to thank her for her help.
    [Show full text]
  • EUROPEAN BIRDS of CONSERVATION CONCERN Populations, Trends and National Responsibilities
    EUROPEAN BIRDS OF CONSERVATION CONCERN Populations, trends and national responsibilities COMPILED BY ANNA STANEVA AND IAN BURFIELD WITH SPONSORSHIP FROM CONTENTS Introduction 4 86 ITALY References 9 89 KOSOVO ALBANIA 10 92 LATVIA ANDORRA 14 95 LIECHTENSTEIN ARMENIA 16 97 LITHUANIA AUSTRIA 19 100 LUXEMBOURG AZERBAIJAN 22 102 MACEDONIA BELARUS 26 105 MALTA BELGIUM 29 107 MOLDOVA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 32 110 MONTENEGRO BULGARIA 35 113 NETHERLANDS CROATIA 39 116 NORWAY CYPRUS 42 119 POLAND CZECH REPUBLIC 45 122 PORTUGAL DENMARK 48 125 ROMANIA ESTONIA 51 128 RUSSIA BirdLife Europe and Central Asia is a partnership of 48 national conservation organisations and a leader in bird conservation. Our unique local to global FAROE ISLANDS DENMARK 54 132 SERBIA approach enables us to deliver high impact and long term conservation for the beneit of nature and people. BirdLife Europe and Central Asia is one of FINLAND 56 135 SLOVAKIA the six regional secretariats that compose BirdLife International. Based in Brus- sels, it supports the European and Central Asian Partnership and is present FRANCE 60 138 SLOVENIA in 47 countries including all EU Member States. With more than 4,100 staf in Europe, two million members and tens of thousands of skilled volunteers, GEORGIA 64 141 SPAIN BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, together with its national partners, owns or manages more than 6,000 nature sites totaling 320,000 hectares. GERMANY 67 145 SWEDEN GIBRALTAR UNITED KINGDOM 71 148 SWITZERLAND GREECE 72 151 TURKEY GREENLAND DENMARK 76 155 UKRAINE HUNGARY 78 159 UNITED KINGDOM ICELAND 81 162 European population sizes and trends STICHTING BIRDLIFE EUROPE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
    [Show full text]
  • Financial and Economic Analysis and Business Evaluation
    Financial and Economic Analysis and Business Evaluation Financial and Economic Analysis The purpose of the project is to improve transmission capacity by replacement of the existing transmission line with a high quality and low loss transmission line and to increase the number of the transmission lines. The benefit of the improvement of the transmission network is to contribute to the increase of power supply to the capital city area and to the improvement of the reliability of electricity supply. The objective for evaluation of the project is to analyse the possibility of implementation of improvement of the existing 220kV transmission line between Tarbela substation and Burhan substation (approximately 35 km). In addition to the improvement mentioned above, analysis of the possibility of implementation of the new construction of a branch transmission line (approximately 40 km) will also be conducted, which will be reviewed in the other report. The output of the implementation of the project, e.g. goods and services, is the transmission infrastructure to be improved by the project. The fundamental framework of the project is to be as follows; (1) Output: Increase of electricity supply by improvement of the transmission line (2) Outcome: Improvement of reliability on electricity supply and countermeasures against future expected insufficient transmission line capacity (3) Impact: Sustainable economic and social development Financial Analysis Financial analysis is to be carried out to evaluate the profitability of NTDCL as the implementation organization. The investment amount is to be estimated by the market price as the financial cost and at the same time the financial benefit given by the implementation of the project is also to be estimated by the market price.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) Draft Pakistan Hydro-Meteorological and DRM Services Project Pakistan Meteorological Department National Disaster Management Authority Pakistan Hydro-Meteorological and DRM Services Project Executive Summary Background Climate change is expected to have an adverse impact on Pakistan, as it ranks 7th on the climate risk index. It continues to be one of the most flood-prone countries in the South Asia Region (SAR); suffering US$18 billion in losses between 2005 and 2014 (US$10.5 billion from the 2010 floods alone), equivalent to around 6% of the federal budget. Hydromet hazards have been coupled with rapid population growth and uncontrolled urbanization, leading to a disproportionate and growing impact on the poor. To build on recent development gains, increase economic productivity, and improve climate resilience, it will be critical to improve the quality and accessibility of weather, water, and climate information services. Climate-resilient development requires stronger institutions and a higher level of observation, forecasting, and service delivery capacity; these could make a significant contribution to safety, security, and economic well-being. The Pakistan Hydro- Meteorological and DRM Services Project (PHDSP) expects to improve hydro- meteorological information and services, strengthen forecasting and early warning systems, and improve dissemination of meteorological and hydrological forecasts, warnings and advisory information to stakeholders and end-users and strengthen the existing disaster risk management (DRM) capacity and services of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Project Description The project has three main components and will be implemented over a period of five years. Component 1: Hydro-Meteorological and Climate Services The objective of this component is to improve the capability and thereby performance of the PMD to understand and make use of meteorological and hydrological information for decision making.
    [Show full text]
  • TURKMENISTAN - ULTIMATE CENTRAL ASIA BIRDING with MIKSTURE 20.Th April – 5.Th May 2014
    TURKMENISTAN - ULTIMATE CENTRAL ASIA BIRDING WITH MIKSTURE 20.th April – 5.th May 2014 Welcome to the ultimate desert and mountain birding in Turkmenistan - Central Asian birding when it’s best! Turkmenistan provides the best desert birding in central Asia! That’s one of the reasons Turkmenistan has become a popular Miksture destination in Central Asia. The Desert and Kopet Dag Mountains provides the most prolific and rewarding birding amidst unsurpassed beautiful scenery. Some of the most wanted spe- cies known as “dream-species” makes it an essential destination for anyone with a serious interest in Pale- arctic birds. In addition there is a great selection of species present in Southern Europe, interesting subspe- cies as many European birds are on the edge of their eastern range here and migrants makes the birding impressive and challenging. Miksture is a pioneer in Turkmenistan birding and knows thoroughly the loca- tions and where the birds occur. We have done these areas for years, and we continue to improve and keep the route updated, so our clients get the best logistic and itinerary – in short: the best and most re- warding birding. Our team provides good meals, and we always make the journey as comfortable and smooth as possible. We don’t make any compromises when it’s about finding the birds, however we always make priority not to flush and frighten the birds. Time of year is perfect! Tour start: In Copenhagen, Denmark 20.th April 2013, or Ashgabat 21.th April 2014. Departure from other countries is of course possible, and to meet in Istanbul or Ashgabat.
    [Show full text]
  • Book of Abstracts
    BOOK OF ABSTRACTS World Owl Conference 2017 Évora – Portugal 26 to 30 September 2017 Colégio do Espírito Santo University of Évora BOOK OF ABSTRACTS World Owl Conference 2017 | University of Évora | Portugal ________________________________________________________________ INDEX Keynote presentations..................................................................................................................... 3 Oral presentations .........................................................................................................................12 Breeding biology and behaviour ...................................................................................................13 Literature ..................................................................................................................................22 Conservation..............................................................................................................................24 Culture ......................................................................................................................................37 Methods....................................................................................................................................46 Evolution, Taxonomy and Phylogeny .............................................................................................52 Physiology .................................................................................................................................57 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................59
    [Show full text]
  • Arabian Peninsula
    THE CONSERVATION STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE BREEDING BIRDS OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA Compiled by Andy Symes, Joe Taylor, David Mallon, Richard Porter, Chenay Simms and Kevin Budd ARABIAN PENINSULA The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM - Regional Assessment About IUCN IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with almost 1,300 government and NGO Members and more than 15,000 volunteer experts in 185 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by almost 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org About the Species Survival Commission The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN’s six volunteer commissions with a global membership of around 7,500 experts. SSC advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservation, and is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity. SSC has significant input into the international agreements dealing with biodiversity conservation. About BirdLife International BirdLife International is the world’s largest nature conservation Partnership. BirdLife is widely recognised as the world leader in bird conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Wadi Wurayah National Park, Scientific Research Report
    Wadi Wurayah National Park Scientific Research Report 2013 – 2015 PROJECT PARTNERS Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF is a UAE environmental nongovernmental organisation established under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in the Western Region and the chairman of Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi. Since its establishment, Emirates Wildlife Society has been working in association with WWF, one of the largest and most respected independent global conservation organisations, to initiate and implement environmental conservation and education projects in the region. EWS-WWF has been active in the UAE since 2001, and its mission is to work with people and institutions within the UAE and the region to conserve biodiversity and tackle climate change through education, awareness, policy, and science-based conservation initiatives. Fujairah Municipality Fujairah Municipality is EWS-WWFs strategic partner and the driver of the development of Wadi Wurayah National Park. The mission of Fujairah Municipality is to provide the people of Fujairah with advanced infrastructure, a sustainable environment, and excellence in services. Lead Author: HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd Jacky Judas, PhD, Research Manager, WWNP - EWS-WWF HSBC Bank Middle East is one of the largest international banks in the Middle Reviewer: East, and, since 2006, it has been the main stakeholder and financial partner of Olivier Combreau, PhD, consultant EWS-WWF on the Wadi Wurayah National Park project. HSBC Bank Middle East has funded most of the research programmes conducted to date in Wadi Wurayah National Park. EWS-WWF Head Office P.O. Box 45553 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates T: +971 2 634 7117 F: +971 2 634 1220 Earthwatch Institute EWS-WWF Dubai Office Earthwatch Institute is a leading global nongovernmental organisation that P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 109 (Part-L)
    -. -- -~ --- Volume 109 (Part-l) .. Year 2009 . ~ to E.K. JANAKI AM MAL NATIONAL AWARD ON TAXONOMY 2008 The Ministry of Environment and Forests invites application from Taxonomists with outstanding contribution for conferring of two Awards, one each in the fields of Plant Taxonomy and Animal Taxonomy, for the year 2008. Details of the Scheme are available on the web site: http://envfor.nic.in The last date of receipt of nominations is 31.07.2009 Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India Records of the Zoological Survey of India Volume l09(Part-2) Edited by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata M ~...•.. 1~~ Zoological Survey of India Kolkata 2009 CITATION Editor-Director. 2009. Rec. zoo1. Surv. India, 109(Part-2) : i-viii, 1-101 (Published by the Director, Zoo1. Surv. India, Kolkata) Published - August, 2009 (April-June Issue) © Government of India, 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. • This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent, re-sold hired out or otherwise disposed of without the publisher's consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. • The correct price of this publication is the price printed on this page. Any revised price indicated by a rubber stamp or by a sticker or by any other means is incorrect and shoud be unacceptable.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reappraisal of the Systematic Affinities of Socotran, Arabian And
    Ibis (2013), doi: 10.1111/ibi.12041 A reappraisal of the systematic affinities of Socotran, Arabian and East African scops owls (Otus, Strigidae) using a combination of molecular, biometric and acoustic data ^ JEAN-MARC PONS,1,2* GUY M. KIRWAN,3 RICHARD F. PORTER4 &JER OME FUCHS5 1UMR7205 ‘Origine, Structure et Evolution de la Biodiversite’,Departement Systematique et Evolution, Museum National d’Histoire, Naturelle, 55 Rue Buffon, Paris, 75005, France 2Service de Systematique Moleculaire, UMS 2700, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 43 rue Cuvier, Paris, 75005, France 3Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA 4BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 0NA, UK 5Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA We investigated phylogenetic relationships among Otus scops owls from Socotra Island, the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa using molecular, vocalization and biometric data. The Socotra Scops Owl Otus senegalensis socotranus, currently treated as a subspecies of the African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis, is more closely related to the Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia and to the endemic Seychelles Scops Owl Otus insularis. Considerable mitochondrial genetic distance and significant morphological differentiation from its two closest relatives, as well as its distinctive vocalizations compared with O. insularis, strongly support recognition of Socotra Scops Owl as a full species. Unexpectedly, two taxa from the Arabian Peninsula, Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei and African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis pamelae, represent very distinct lineages; O. brucei is basal to a clade that includes taxa found in the Indo-Malayan region and on Indian Ocean islands.
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Observations on the Distribution and Status of Wildlife of Balochis Tan
    Canadian Journal of Pure and Applied Sc iences Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 4813 - 4846 , June 2019 Online ISSN: 1920 - 3853; Print ISSN: 1715 - 9997 Available online at www.cjpas.net Special Article RECENT OBSERVATIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF WILDLIFE OF BALOCHIS TAN * Syed Ali Ghalib 1 , Muhammad Zaheer Khan 1 , Ubaid Ullah 1 , Roohi Kanwal 1 , Afsheen Zehra 1 , Saima Siddiqui 1 , Dar a khshan Abbas 1 , Ghazala Yasmeen 1 , Babar Hussai n 2 and Abdur Raz z aq Khan 3 1 Department of Zoology, University of Karachi, Karachi - 75270 2 IUCN - Pakistan, 1 Bath Island Road Karachi 3 Halcrow Pakistan (Pvt) Limited, Karachi ABSTRACT Field surveys were undertaken from 2015 to 2019 in ma jor ecological zones of the Balo ch istan province to collect data o n the distribution and status of its wildlife. Based on five years field observations, 92 species of ma mmals, 373 species of birds, 120 species of reptiles and seven species of amphibians were documented . The p resent study gives an update list of Wildlife Protected Areas of the Province, the list of Threatened/Near - threatened species, the important wildlife hotspots, important ecotourism sites and key/peculiar of wildlife species. In regard to the Threatened/Nae r - threatened species of wildlife, among mammals four species are Endangered (EN), eight species are Vulnerable (VU) and three species are Near - threatened (NT) . Among birds, two species are Critically Endangered (CR), four species are EN, three species are Vulnerable and 15 species are Near - threatened. Among reptiles, one species is Critically Endangered, on e species is Endangered and six species are Vulnerable.
    [Show full text]
  • Imperilled Custodians of the Night
    IMPERILLED CUSTODIANS IGHT OF THE NIGHT: N A STUDY OF THE ILLEGAL TRADE, TRAPPING AND UTILIZATION OF OWLS IN INDIA Principal Author Abrar Ahmed USTODIANS OF THE C Project Supervisor Project Advisor Samir Sinha Dr. Asad R. Rahmani MPERILLED I TRAFFIC India / WWF-India (2010) 1 2 CONTENTS Foreword 5 Preface 6 Acknowledgments 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 OBJECTIVES 10 BACKGROUND 11 Owls: An Overview 11 Relationship with man 12 The wild bird trade 13 CONTENTS LEGISLATION 14 MATERIALS AND METHOD 15 THE OWL TRADE IN INDIA 17 OWL SPECIES RECORDED IN TRADE WITHIN INDIA 20 Spotted Owlet Athene brama 20 Barn Owl Tyto alba 22 Rock Eagle-owl Bubo bengalensis 23 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum 26 Collared Scops-owl Otus bakkamoena 27 Brown Fish-owl Ketupa zeylonensis 28 Dusky Eagle-owl Bubo coromandus 29 Mottled Wood-owl Strix ocellata 30 Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides 31 Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei 32 Brown Wood-owl Strix leptogrammica 33 Oriental Scops-owl Otus sunia 34 Spot-bellied Eagle-owl Bubo nipalensis 35 Tawny Fish-owl -GVWRCƀCXKRGU 36 Eastern Grass-owl Tyto longimembris 36 Other owl species in India 37 SEIZURES 41 Export of owls 43 UTILIZATION OF OWLS 44 Black magic 44 Street performances 45 Taxidermy 46 Zoos 47 For food 47 Use in folk medicines 48 For capture of other birds 50 For claws and feathers in tribal headgear 52 Owl eggs for gambling 52 3 Miscellaneous use 52 COMMUNITIES/TRIBES ASSOCIATED WITH OWLS IN INDIA 53 TRAPPING TECHNIQUES 57 Latex and bamboo method 57 Takkva method 58 Insect, latex and dome method 58 Mice and
    [Show full text]