Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide

530 Pages·2019·266.862 MB·English

by  Heimo Mikkola

owls

of the world
second edition
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owls

of the world
a photographic guide
second edition
Heimo Mikkola
Christopher helm
london
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This electronic edition published in 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published 2012 by Christopher helm, an imprint of Bloomsbury publishing plc,
50 Bedford square, london WC1B 3dp.
this edition and digital edition published 2013.
www.bloomsbury.com
www.bloomsburywildlife.com
Copyright © 2013 text by heimo mikkola
Copyright © 2013 in the photographs remains with the individual photographers
– see credits on pages 521–522
the right of heimo mikkola to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him
in accordance with the Copyright, designs and patents Act 1988.
ISBN (print): 978-1-4729-0593-2
ISBN (enhanced e-book): 978-1-4729-0592-5
ISBN (ePDF): 978-1-4729-4561-7
A Cip catalogue record for this book is available from the British library.
All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means –
photographic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage
or retrieval systems – without permission of the publishers.
this book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed sustainable forests.
it is natural, renewable and recyclable. the logging and manufacturing processes conform to the
environmental regulations of the country of origin.
Commissioning editor: Jim martin
design: Julie dando, Fluke Art
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find
extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our
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noW AVAilABle – oWls oF the World enhAnCed e-BooK,
featuring a comprehensive sound archive that complements this book. Check it out on the iBookstore!
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Contents
Acknowledgements 13
IntroductIon 15
whAt mAkes An owl? 16
Vision 16
hearing 17
significance of ear-tufts 18
silent flight 20
Bill and claws 22
the nAture of owls 24
shape and size 24
calls 26
colour variation and ageing 28
Abnormalities in owl plumage 30
moult 33
food and hunting 33
habitat 40
Behaviour 41
Intraguild aggression 50
Breeding strategies 51
longevity records 53
movements 55
eVolutIon of owls 57
dIstrIButIon And BIogeogrAphy 57
tAxonomy And dnA-sequencIng 58
owls And humAns 60
conserVAtIon 66
extInct owls 69
‘owlAholIcs’ 70
owl AssocIAtIons And gloBAl reseArch orgAnIsAtIons 71
owls on the internet 71
specIes Accounts 72
photographs 73
distribution maps 73
references 73
topography of a typical owl 74
Abbreviations 75
glossary 75
the specIes Accounts 78
tytonIdAe: BArn, grAss And BAy owls 78
1. BArn owl Tyto alba 78
2. AmerIcAn BArn owl Tyto furcata 82
3. curAçAo BArn owl Tyto bargei 86
4. lesser AntIlles BArn owl Tyto insularis 87
5. gAlápAgos BArn owl Tyto punctatissima 88
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6. cApe Verde BArn owl Tyto detorta 89
7. são tomé BArn owl Tyto thomensis 90
8. AustrAlIAn BArn owl Tyto delicatula 91
9. BoAng BArn owl Tyto crassirostris 93
10. AndAmAn BArn owl Tyto deroepstorffi 94
11. Ashy-fAced owl Tyto glaucops 95
12. mAdAgAscAr red owl Tyto soumagnei 98
13. golden mAsked owl Tyto aurantia 100
14. tAlIABu mAsked owl Tyto nigrobrunnea 101
15. eAstern grAss owl Tyto longimembris 102
16. AfrIcAn grAss owl Tyto capensis 104
17. lesser mAsked owl Tyto sororcula 106
18. AustrAlIAn mAsked owl Tyto novaehollandiae 107
19. mAnus mAsked owl Tyto manusi 108
20. sulAwesI mAsked owl Tyto rosenbergii 109
21. tAsmAnIAn mAsked owl Tyto castanops 110
22. sulAwesI golden owl Tyto inexspectata 112
23. lesser sooty owl Tyto multipunctata 113
24. greAter sooty owl Tyto tenebricosa 114
25. ItomBwe owl Tyto prigoginei 116
26. orIentAl BAy owl Phodilus badius 117
27. srI lAnkA BAy owl Phodilus assimilis 120
strIgIdAe: true owls 122
28. common scops owl Otus scops 122
29. pAllId scops owl Otus brucei 126
30. ArABIAn scops owl Otus pamelae 128
31. AfrIcAn scops owl Otus senegalensis 130
32. socotrA scops owl Otus socotranus 132
33. cInnAmon scops owl Otus icterorhynchus 133
34. sokoke scops owl Otus ireneae 134
35. pemBA scops owl Otus pembaensis 135
36. são tomé scops owl Otus hartlaubi 136
37. seychelles scops owl Otus insularis 138
38. mAyotte scops owl Otus mayottensis 139
39. grAnde comore scops owl Otus pauliani 140
40. AnJouAn scops owl Otus capnodes 141
41. mohélI scops owl Otus moheliensis 142
42. mAdAgAscAr scops owl Otus rutilus 143
43. torotorokA scops owl Otus madagascariensis 145
44. mountAIn scops owl Otus spilocephalus 148
45. IndIAn scops owl Otus bakkamoena 150
46. orIentAl scops owl Otus sunia 152
47. collAred scops owl Otus lettia 156
48. JApAnese scops owl Otus semitorques 158
49. elegAnt scops owl Otus elegans 160
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50. sundA scops owl Otus lempiji 162
51. nIcoBAr scops owl Otus alius 163
52. sImeulue scops owl Otus umbra 164
53. enggAno scops owl Otus enganensis 165
54. mentAwAI scops owl Otus mentawi 166
55. rAJAh scops owl Otus brookii 168
56. sIngApore scops owl Otus cnephaeus 169
57. luZon lowlAnd scops owl Otus megalotis 170
58. mIndAnAo lowlAnd scops owl Otus everetti 171
59. VIsAyAn lowlAnd scops owl Otus nigrorum 173
60. gIAnt scops owl Otus gurneyi 174
61. pAlAwAn scops owl Otus fuliginosus 176
62. whIte-fronted scops owl Otus sagittatus 177
63. reddIsh scops owl Otus rufescens 178
64. serendIB scops owl Otus thilohoffmanni 180
65. AndAmAn scops owl Otus balli 181
66. JAVAn scops owl Otus angelinae 182
67. wAllAce’s scops owl Otus silvicola 183
68. flores scops owl Otus alfredi 184
69. mIndAnAo scops owl Otus mirus 185
70. luZon scops owl Otus longicornis 186
71. mIndoro scops owl Otus mindorensis 187
72. rInJAnI scops owl Otus jolandae 188
73. moluccAn scops owl Otus magicus 189
74. wetAr scops owl Otus tempestatis 190
75. sulA scops owl Otus sulaensis 192
76. BIAk scops owl Otus beccarii 193
77. sulAwesI scops owl Otus manadensis 194
78. kAlIdupA scops owl Otus kalidupae 195
79. BAnggAI scops owl Otus mendeni 196
80. sIAu scops owl Otus siaoensis 197
81. sAngIhe scops owl Otus collari 198
82. mAntAnAnI scops owl Otus mantananensis 199
83. flAmmulAted owl Psiloscops flammeolus 202
84. western screech owl Megascops kennicottii 204
85. eAstern screech owl Megascops asio 207
86. pAcIfIc screech owl Megascops cooperi 210
87. oAxAcA screech owl Megascops lambi 211
88. whIskered screech owl Megascops trichopsis 212
89. BeArded screech owl Megascops barbarus 214
90. BAlsAs screech owl Megascops seductus 216
91. BAre-shAnked screech owl Megascops clarkii 217
92. tropIcAl screech owl Megascops choliba 218
93. mArIA koepcke’s screech owl Megascops koepckeae 222
94. peruVIAn screech owl Megascops roboratus 224
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95. tumBes screech owl Megascops pacificus 226
96. montAne forest screech owl Megascops hoyi 228
97. rufescent screech owl Megascops ingens 229
98. sAntA mArtA screech owl Megascops ‘gilesi’ 230
99. colomBIAn screech owl Megascops colombianus 231
100. cInnAmon screech owl Megascops petersoni 232
101. cloud-forest screech owl Megascops marshalli 234
102. northern tAwny-BellIed screech owl
Megascops watsonii 235
103. southern tAwny-BellIed screech owl
Megascops usta 236
104. BlAck-cApped screech owl Megascops atricapilla 238
105. sAntA cAtArInA screech owl Megascops sanctaecatarinae 239
106. VermIculAted screech owl Megascops vermiculatus 240
107. chocÓ screech owl Megascops centralis 242
108. rorAImA screech owl Megascops roraimae 244
109. guAtemAlAn screech owl Megascops guatemalae 245
110. puerto rIcAn screech owl Megascops nudipes 246
111. rIo nApo screech owl Megascops napensis 247
112. whIte-throAted screech owl Megascops albogularis 249
113. pAlAu owl Pyrroglaux podarginus 251
114. cuBAn BAre-legged owl Gymnoglaux lawrencii 252
115. northern whIte-fAced owl Ptilopsis leucotis 254
116. southern whIte-fAced owl Ptilopsis granti 256
117. snowy owl Nyctea scandiaca 258
118. greAt horned owl Bubo virginianus 262
119. mAgellAnIc horned owl Bubo magellanicus 266
120. eurAsIAn eAgle owl Bubo bubo 268
121. phArAoh eAgle owl Bubo ascalaphus 272
122. rock eAgle owl Bubo bengalensis 274
123. cApe eAgle owl Bubo capensis 276
124. Akun eAgle owl Bubo leucostictus 278
125. spotted eAgle owl Bubo africanus 280
126. greyIsh eAgle owl Bubo cinerascens 282
127. frAser’s eAgle owl Bubo poensis 284
128. usAmBArA eAgle owl Bubo vosseleri 285
129. mIlky eAgle owl Bubo lacteus 286
130. shelley’s eAgle owl Bubo shelleyi 288
131. forest eAgle owl Bubo nipalensis 289
132. BArred eAgle owl Bubo sumatranus 290
133. dusky eAgle owl Bubo coromandus 292
134. phIlIppIne eAgle owl Bubo philippensis 294
135. BlAkIston’s fIsh owl Bubo blakistoni 296
136. Brown fIsh owl Bubo zeylonensis 298
137. mAlAy fIsh owl Bubo ketupu 300
138. tAwny fIsh owl Bubo flavipes 302
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