World's rarest bird? The long-whiskered owlet of Peru

2008·2.9 MB·English

by  Dwight G Smith

1815-8242
ISSN:
The
World's Rarest Bird? Long-whiskered Owlet Peru
of
mas mundo?
buho mochuelo
peludo Peru
raro del del
<LEI El
USA 06515
CT,
;n,
Abstract
Long-whiskered (h\lci •.... without question
? V, is c
.
be
to a distant cousin of the desert-dwelling Elf hvl [Miout,
it
(
Ma\n
Kvl is a denizen ot the Rio (.loud torcst. perched IN00-2
NWhuelitodt
Lowety o V, duda
sin c
r;
1 1 .' :>,
I
mundo.
Se cree que es un prinn distante del lit illamado «enano» en N
1
i
sierto del suroeste de los Estados Unidos y la region central de Mexic. El
,'
>.
Rio Mayo, entre los 1800 y 2100 metres en Departamento de San
I el
The
year 2007 marks 30
the th anniversary year
owl
in the world, and
quite possibly the rarest bird in
the world. The
Long-whiskered Owlet
(Xtrwgaux hn
veri
|
was
discovered and named from specimens
three
collected in 1976 and 1977
formally recognized in
(O'Neill and name
Graves). Spanish the
Its
is
Mocheulitode
Lowery Lowery
or strange owl of while
to the French Chouette de Lowery. The Germans
it is
refer to as the Lowery-Zwergkauz. Like the Loch
it
Ness
monster and
legendary sea serpents this owlet
and Of
th base-
wh.skers C
and v long art,
unique vei
is rarely seen and hardly ever photographed. In fact,
umageot
and on he sides of the facial iisj., P|
t
die t
bill
virtually the only information we have about
that
brown
predominate dark to
specimens
collected is f
owl comes
this from
three specimens, collected in
all
w
and w, i\y
spots fine lin<
with bite
blackish
976, a few and
1 responses to mimicrv of their calls, a
and
Wish the
with a yello i
gravish
t.J
brown. Its bill s
i
couple deemed
of very recent photographs wen-
that
& The Long-whiskered Owlet of Peru
Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird?
fih-Atavj,
An
uncertain taxonomy
The
taxonomic name Long-whiskered
full of the
&
Owlet GR,
isXenoglauxhwai 1977).
(O'Neill Graves,
name both
means
Its strange owl and a reference
is
No
other owl can be confused with
the Long-
to the unusual appearance strange facial
of
its
whiskered Owlet. The only other small
rwfc within
feathering and the
i rarity and remoteness. It is
its
immediate pygmy
its range are the owls of the genus
member
sole of the genus Xetwglaux and therefore
is
Gkuadhon
which somewhat
are and
larger longer
termed
monotypic.
Pygmy
tailed. owls are also brownish but
their lower
underparts are streaked rather Taxonomic placement of owl is still
this little
which to
They conjectu^ral, on
facial orbit. lack the given the lack of specimens
distinctive long whiskers which build a other owls,
facial give the Long- foundation of with
relationships
whiskered Owlet common The
its name. Long-whiskered Owlet placed within the avian
is
2008
170,
&
Smith Yacher: Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered
C
i
Ecology Status
Habitat Cloud unknown
microhabitat
forest, status
Did Unknown,
formation presumed
insect ivorousStatus
Unknown
Foraging Ecology
Population Size 250-1000 individuals estimated on basis overall
<>t
extent of cloud
this forest habitat.
Unknown
Breeding Chronology
Breeding Habitat Unknown,
p (ting species
Breeding Unknown, presumed
Site cavity nesting species
Territorial Size and Behavior Unknown, presumed establishes and maintains
Unknown
Courtship
Nest Construction/Modification Unknown, presumed that female or male makes
bottom
a nesting scrap in cavity
Number
Unknown
of
eggs
Unknown
Incubation
period
Number
young Unknown
of
Days from Unknown
hatching
to fledging
Unknown
Reproductive
Success Rate
Life History Information Status
Longevity Unknown
order Strigiformes and member plumes and
a of the Family bristles
is
such
Strigidae which and mostly bare and several skeletal features
includes owls except the barn tarsi,
all
bay
owls. outward
It belongs to the Subfamily Tribe the
Striginii,
markedlv
Sumini which
within which usually placed between the carina of ste i 1 t
it is
Pygmy
owls of the genus Gkucidium and the Elf Owl, the any other owl.
kst
another
monotypic
species which occurs only the
and Ecology
Habitat
deserts of the American
Southwest Konigetal
(1999)
regard
the kinship between Xewgkux and Gkuddium
as
Long-
ecology of the
the
regarding
Information
«unlikery»
but
placed between Gkucidum and
still
it
sketchy
Owlet us just as at
whiskered
Micmthetw
^ genera do
as other taxonomists. Characters
So
far
taxonomic relationships. a
regarding
its
distinguish
the Long-whiskered Owlet from
these
only
Ovvlet identified
Long-whiskered is
the
genera ,
include
the pronounced
enlargement of
facial
Owlet Peru
of
1
Elf Owl. But, neither pellets nor
prev
;
Long-whiskered Owlet have
remains of the yet been
we
Because small presume
discovered. that
it is
it is
Andes which occur elevations a cavity nesting species (again, like the
forests of the eastern at I
known Yunga
from ,890-2200 meters, an area as the
1
young
or Selva Alta (Pulgar Vidal 1996). discovered nests or of this owlet.
Fluvial
The Owl and Cloud
habitat has been characterized as upper its Forest: Conservation
Its
humid
subtropical cloud forest of definitive cc
of undergrowth including often luxuriant layers of
and
Because of highly restricted range possible
its
bamboo, and topped by
mosses, orchids, ferns
tall all
Owlet
habitat loss the Long-whiskered is listed as
an assortment of epiphytic layers of mosses, lichens,
by and
Near-threatened Birdlife International
and orchids, the whole growing to 6-9 meters in height
categorized as CITES assumed to occur in
II. It is
in valleys and diminishing to about 4 meters along
small numbers in the limited habitat of the cloud
the spine-like ridge tops where the three specimens
Only specimens
forest in this part of Peru. three
were actually caught in mist nets. In 2007 one or
have been collected so and given status further
far, its
more individuals were observed and photographed
we
and unwananted have
collections are unlikely as
no way of estimating potential impact of removing
The most
recent information regarding ecology even a from owl population.
single individual this
and behavior of owl comes from
this researchers
The and because
area scientists
m attracts tourists
m
working
rlu Viv.< do onservacii Privada de Abra
I
very
of the natural beauty and to a large extent its
They
Patricia-Alto Nieva. recorded at night
its calls
magnet
remoteness. However, the ecotourism
and were photograph on
able to three separate
it
On
one hand,
functions as a double-edged sword. the
occasions during daylight hours (American
Bird
and
economies
ecotourism offers hard cash for local
Conservancy
2007).
also monies to manage and conserve the cloud forest
Like all owls, the Long-whiskered Owlet uses within which the Long-whiskered Owlet lives. Both
vocalizations for territorial markings and possibly remain keen and key economic advantages have
On
hand ecotourism popularflj
resulted. the other as
for this owl con of short and of the
ts soft threaten the very fabric
<
i
A
whisdes repeated intervals of about 10 seconds. habitat with one another for a glimpse
as tourists vie
second reported call consists of two distinct whisdes of shy and Other economic activities
this retiring owl.
by The
followed a rapid series of higher pitched notes are presently affecting the area in other ways.
somewhat
rather suggestive of a territorial call but main activity in the department of San Martin is the
91% ftru s
of
production of palm amounting to
oil
yucca
and
production. San Martin ranks third in rice
Knowns
Unknowns
Status:
e
I
provide a
Other crops
cultivation Popular 2005).
(El
the
But,
The Long-whiskered Owlet how diverse economy. has been found.
remarkable Oil, too,
is for
increasing
litde known regarding anything about greatest threat to the fauna is the
is its status
We otherwise
and ecology. have no knowledge of the numbers, encroachment by loggers deforesting this
the
placed
have
nesting, recruitment food, or foraging habits of pristine region. All of these activities
this
region
we This
owl. All have presumptive information. We Long-whiskered Owlet especially at risk.
is
Area
assume was when the
that because small primarily unprotected until recently
it is it is
Nieva
-
Alto
its presumed cousin, the Conservation Privada de Abra Patricia
:
&
Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered Owlet
of Peru
A
young
owlet
Fig. 2.
c
15(1): 165 2008
170,
-
&
Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered Owlet
of Peru
was by
created the Ministry of Agriculture
in
Literature
cited
2007
Comercio
(El 2007). Ornithologists n
infer that R
A .
' Ameri.can .
...... 7, Bird Conservancy.
2007. Long
sought
after
the species is likely to be in sen. ous decline ,because bird spotted Peruvian Nature
in
reserve,
http:/
By www.abcbirds.org/medialeleases/whiskered
of habitat loss. the way, this cloud forest supports rml
i
may
several odier birds that be equally Birdlife
at risk including
/wwv
the Royal Sunangel,
Ochre-fronted and
Antipitta,
Burton, A. Owls
ed. 1992.
Johnson's Tody-Tyrant. of the world:
J. their
Evolution, Structure, and
Ecology. Eurobook.
Peter
Lowe
Publishers.
Ummary
Collar, N. M.J. Crosby, and A.
Stattersfield
J.,
J.
Given
the
lack of information
regarding
this rare birdt.^K^BiTdlife
' ImTrnatfo^l^Trdlit
owl should become
it the focus of a major and Conservation Series N°4. Cambridge, England.
concerted study to learn more about
Furthermore, Clark, R. D. G. Smith, and
it. L. Kelso. 1978
J.,
Working
presumed bibliography
" s rarity, restricted habitat, and ongoing
5 5
National WilHlif^ PoA
L Wildlife Federation Scientific and
..
,
habitat.
destruction from
1<
Technical
!
threat of
decline. Therefore,
imperative we
it is that
obtain more
information
regarding pri^"ht^A^.etonieido^
its patterns of ccmservad6n"
m H m
habitat and d o n 0-20/
selection thereby habitat requirements e i c i i p r e s a/ t 1/ 2 7 - 1
—-
Conservation and
manage
*
certain
factual information
^
°*
^7^"'
Acknowledgement 8
L^fTht
WoTif" '
The
authors would Yale Universit New Haven, Connecticut, and
like to thank y Press.
Ashleigh
Hines-
L° nd ° n Eng and
Rundstrom
for her drawing '
of the owl "
figure included '
A
O'Neill, and new genus
in this article. J.P., G. R. Graves. 1977.
Pulgar L
Vidal, Javier. 1996. Geografia del Peni:
Ocho
Regiones Universo, Lin
Naturales del Peni,
(reprinted by
Peisa).