Bay owl
| Bay owl | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oriental bay owl | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Tytonidae |
| Genus: | Phodilus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I, 1830 |
| Species | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
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The bay owls (Phodilus) are a
Taxonomy and systematics
The genus Phodilus was erected by the French zoologist Boho Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1830.[2] Some taxonomists place two species in the genus, while others include three.[3] The name is from the Ancient Greek phōs for "light" or "daylight" and deilos for "timid" or "cowardly".[4] Most classification schemes recognize three extant species in this genus:[5]
| Image | Scientific Name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Phodilus badius | Oriental bay owl | Philippines, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei |
 |
Phodilus assimilis | Sri Lanka bay owl | Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats in Kerala, southwestern India |
The Itombwe owl (T. prigoginei) was formerly classified in this genus as the Congo bay owl, but morphological evidence suggests that it is a member of the genus Tyto.[6][7]
Description
Although bay owls are typically smaller, they bear resemblances to other barn owls.[1] Other characteristics of the bay owl are groupings of feathers that resemble ears, and a divided face disk.[1] Bay owls have also been attributed with U-or V-shaped faces.[1][3] Their wings are rounded and their tail is chestnut-colored, with a few narrow, dark bars.[8] Their tarsi, or leg/foot bones, are relatively short and fully feathered to the joint.[3] Their toes are yellowish-brown with pale claws.[3] Their throat has a creamy color and their underparts are often a pale yellowish-brown, with speckles of blackish-brown coloring.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The bay owl can be found in regions from India to Southeast Asia and Indonesia.[1] It is uncertain where the ancestors of these avians lived as the phylogeny of all species of bay owls has not been analyzed.[9] These owls can be found in both forests and grasslands, but are fairly scattered in their distribution.[9] However, their primary habitat is within dense evergreen forests, where the owls may roost during the day in the opening of tree trunks or branches sheltered by palm tree leaves.[1] They are often found roosting no more than 2 meters off the ground.[1] They are most vulnerable in this state and not very alert.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Bay Owl". Owl Rescue. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- Annales des sciences naturelles(in French). 21: 194–203 [199].
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Owls". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- OCLC 929818095.
- ^ "Owls – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ Lewis, Deane. "Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) - Information, Pictures, Sounds". The Owl Pages. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ PMID 29535030.
Further reading
- Pycraft, W. P. (1903). "On the Pterylography of Photodilus". Ibis. 45 (1): 36–48. .
- Bruce, M. D. (1999): Family Tytonidae (Barn-owls). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds): ISBN 84-87334-25-3
