Bare-legged owl
Bare-legged owl | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Strigiformes |
Family: | Strigidae |
Genus: | Margarobyas Olson & Suárez, 2008 |
Species: | M. lawrencii
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Binomial name | |
Margarobyas lawrencii (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)
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Species | |
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Synonyms | |
Gymnasio lawrencii |
The bare-legged owl (Margarobyas lawrencii), also called the Cuban bare-legged owl or Cuban screech owl, is a species of
Taxonomy and etymology
The bare-legged owl was described in 1800 and for a time, it was considered the same species as the
There is one possible subspecies: M. l. exsul, found in western Cuba and the Isla de Juventud. It is supposedly differentiated by a darker brown color and more spots, although this subspecies is not generally recognized.
Margarobyas comes from the Greek margarites, a pearl, and byas, an owl. This name was given as a reference to Cuba's status as the "Pearl of the Antilles." The species name, lawrencii, is in honor of George Lawrence.[4]
Description
The bare-legged owl is relatively small, measuring 20–23 cm (8–9 in) long, and weighing about 80 g (2.8 oz). Its name comes from its featherless green-yellow legs, similar to those of the
Juvenile bare-legged owls have similar plumage colors to adults, but have fewer white spots.[4]
Biology
The natural habitats of the bare-legged owl are dry forests, lowland moist forests, and heavily degraded former forest. It particularly prefers stands of palm trees. Most of its foraging is done on the ground, and it is strictly nocturnal.[4] The bare-legged owl eats primarily insects and other arthropods. It will less frequently eat frogs, snakes, and occasionally small birds.[5]
These birds are secondary cavity nesters, requiring either woodpecker holes (particularly in palm trees) or natural openings in trees or rock crevices. Not much is known of their breeding ecology, but breeding season is January to June. The average clutch size is two eggs, which are incubated by the female owl.[4]
References
- . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- S2CID 245138345.
- ^ a b c d Weidensaul, Scott (2015). Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 99-101.
- ^ a b Mikkola, Heimo (2014). Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide. Firefly Books Ltd. p. 252.
- "Zipcodezoo.com". July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2008-07-30.