Principe scops owl

The Principe scops owl (Otus bikegila) is a species of scops owl found only on Príncipe Island of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. First noticed by its distinctive nighttime call, it was formally described in 2022.[1][2] The first records of suspicions of its existence are from 1928.[3] Given its low population numbers and tiny range, researchers have asked the IUCN to declare it Critically Endangered.[4] Its distribution is limited to native forests where human activity is low[5]—in fact, its range is entirely within a protected area, the Príncipe Obô Natural Park[3]—and it seems to prefer larger trees.[5] It feeds on insects.[5] Its predators include the Mona monkey and the black rat.[5]

Principe scops owl
A collage of photos of the owl species Otus bikegila
A composite of photographs of the Principe scops owl
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species:
O. bikegila
Binomial name
Otus bikegila
Melo et al., 2022

Call

The bird's call has been described as "tuu," repeated quickly, sometimes in duets. The birds begin to call almost as soon as it gets dark.[6] Another of its calls is "cat-like" and can exist either in isolation or repetition.[3] Duets are common; females call at a higher pitch.[3]

Etymology

The owl's Latin name was given in honor of park ranger and former parrot harvester Ceciliano "Bikegila" do Bom Jesus.[6]

References
  1. Melo, Martim; Freitas, Bárbara; Verbelen, Philippe; Da Costa, Sátiro R.; Pereira, Hugo; Fuchs, Jérôme; Sangster, George; Correia, Marco N.; De Lima, Ricardo F.; Crottini, Angelica (2022). "A new species of scops-owl (Aves, Strigiformes, Strigidae, Otus) from Príncipe Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa) and novel insights into the systematic affinities within Otus". ZooKeys (1126): 1–54. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1126.87635.
  2. Bittel, Jason (31 October 2022). "New owl species found—and it has a haunting screech". National Geographic. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  3. Freitas, Bárbara; Bas, Yves; Robert, Aloïs; Doutrelant, Claire; Melo, Martim (2022-10-31). "Passive Acoustic Monitoring in difficult terrains: the case of the Principe Scops-Owl". dx.doi.org. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  4. Freitas, Bárbara; Melo, Martim; Do Bom Jesus, Ceciliano; Da Costa, Sátiro R.; Dos Santos, Yodiney; Crottini, Angelica; De Lima, Ricardo Faustino (2022). "The recently discovered Principe Scops-owl is highly threatened: Distribution, habitat associations, and population estimates". Bird Conservation International. 33: 1–10. doi:10.1017/S0959270922000429. hdl:10451/58100. S2CID 253249196.
  5. Freitas, Bárbara; Melo, Martim; do Bom Jesus, Ceciliano; da Costa, Sátiro R.; dos Santos, Yodiney; Crottini, Angelica; de Lima, Ricardo Faustino (2022-10-31). "The recently discovered Principe Scops-owl is highly threatened: distribution, habitat associations, and population estimates". Bird Conservation International. 33. doi:10.1017/s0959270922000429. ISSN 0959-2709.
  6. Pensoft Publishers (October 31, 2022). "New species of owl discovered in the rainforests of Príncipe Island, Central Africa" (Press release). Retrieved November 1, 2022.


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