Welcome Signage at Scottish Owl Centre - May 6th 2015

This signage next to the pay-desk in the reception of Scottish Owl Centre gives a wide range of useful information about the collection, such as the identity of various members of staff, which owls are used in displays and which taxa are currently nesting.

what's a Lilith Owl?

Chlidonias said:

what's a Lilith Owl?

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Formerly known as the Syrian Little Owl (Athene noctua lilith) but split in 2008, further to research into genetic, morphological and call differences - since when it has been referred to as Athene lilith.

Unfortunately, although I saw the Lilith Owls at Scottish Owl Centre I didn't get any decent photographs as they are extremely timid, but here is a photo from a blog post about the taxon:



And here is a shot of a traditional "Little Owl":

TeaLovingDave said:

Formerly known as the Syrian Little Owl (Athene noctua lilith) but split in 2008, further to research into genetic, morphological and call differences - since when it has been referred to as Athene lilith.

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I assume by the 2008 date you are referring to König & Weick's Owls of the World? Frankly they attempted to split every owl under the sun, often on sketchy data which has been noted as resulting in flawed/inconsistent results, especially in insular Indonesian/Australasian taxa.

For the lilith Little Owls there certainly are differences in genetics, call and plumage from the main European subspecies (i.e. noctua and vidalii), but they also intergrade in all these respects with the subspecies which occur between those and lilith, such as indigena and glaux.

Birders often split lilith because it gives them an extra tick on their life-lists, but in real terms very few actual authorities consider it a valid species (although it might be noted that some authors do consider A. glaux to be valid, which then includes indigena and lilith as subspecies).

Chlidonias said:

but they also intergrade in all these respects with the subspecies which occur between those and lilith, such as indigena and glaux
.........
although it might be noted that some authors do consider A. glaux to be valid, which then includes indigena and lilith as subspecies).

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Indeed; I believe only König & Weick split the taxon as monotypic, with all the publications I have read since retaining the common name "Lilith Owlet" but, as you note, classify it as A. glaux including indigena and lilith as subspecies. As the latter option forms a monophyletic taxon which from my observation differs as much from "Little Owl" as the Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) does, I am inclined to accept it.

Not the best photo at all, but here is a shot of the Lilith Owlet enclosure.