The Zoochat Photographic Guide To Owls

Aegolius


Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus)

The range of this species primarily extends throughout the coniferous belt of the Holarctic; within Eurasia it also extends patchily to the south in lowland forest and mountainous regions of Europe, and into the mountains of west-central China; within North America the range of the species extends along the Rocky Mountains south as far as New Mexico.

Five subspecies are recognised:

A. f. funereus - photo by @TeaLovingDave

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A. f. magnus
A. f. pallens - photo by @Elephas Maximus

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A. f. caucasicus
A. f. richardsoni


Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

The range of this species extends widely throughout North America, but largely further to the south than Tengmalm's Owl, with which it overlaps to the northwest. In the east the range of the species extends south to South Carolina, and in the west to southern Arizona; in the higher mountains the species extends as far as southwest Mexico.

Two subspecies recognised:

A. a. acadicus - photo by @ThylacineAlive

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A. a. brooki


Unspotted Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius ridgwayi)

The range of this species extends throughout southern Mexico, into Central America as far as western Panama.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Buff-fronted Owl (Aegolius harrisii)

The range of this species extends throughout the Andes from Venezuela to Ecuador and southward on the eastern slope to northern Argentina; a disjunct population exists in eastern Brazil, extending south into Uruguay and adjacent regions of Paraguay and Argentina.

Three subspecies recognised:

A. h. harrisii
A. h. dabbenei
A. h. iheringi

No photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.
 
Perhaps worth noting that Aegolius funereus is known as Boreal Owl in North America. Surprised no photos of that subspecies are in the gallery; though, it is not nearly as common here as in Europe, and I can't think of any facility here holding a permanent resident Boreal.
 
Great Argus said:
Perhaps worth noting that Aegolius funereus is known as Boreal Owl in North America. Surprised no photos of that subspecies are in the gallery; though, it is not nearly as common here as in Europe, and I can't think of any facility here holding a permanent resident Boreal.
Click to expand...

Frustratingly, there *are* photographs of an exhibit for this subspecies, and the signage on the exhibit, within the gallery :p but unfortunately no photographs of the inhabitants!

The shots in question were taken by @Pleistohorse , so perhaps he may be able to help in this regard?
 
Great Argus said:
Perhaps worth noting that Aegolius funereus is known as Boreal Owl in North America. Surprised no photos of that subspecies are in the gallery; though, it is not nearly as common here as in Europe, and I can't think of any facility here holding a permanent resident Boreal.
Click to expand...
There is one (I think) at Gabbert Raptor Center.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Frustratingly, there *are* photographs of an exhibit for this subspecies, and the signage on the exhibit, within the gallery :p but unfortunately no photographs of the inhabitants!

The shots in question were taken by @Pleistohorse , so perhaps he may be able to help in this regard?
Click to expand...

I thought I had at least a poor photo of the owl. I’ll see what I can do.
 
Ninox


Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa)

The range of this species extends throughout coastal New Guinea and the Aru Islands, south into the tropical north of Australia and the eastern coast of Queensland.

Four subspecies recognised:

N. r. rufa
N. r. humeralis
N. r. queenslandica - photo by @Hix

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N. r. meesi


Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua)

The range of this species extends throughout southeast Australia, from the Dawson River in southeast Queensland to eastern New South Wales and southeast Victoria.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Hix

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Barking Owl (Ninox connivens)

The range of this species extends through the Northern Moluccas and New Guinea, south into northern and eastern Australia as far as southernmost Victoria, with a disjunct population in southwest Western Australia.

Five subspecies recognised:

N. c. connivens - photo by @Chlidonias

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N. c. rufostrigata
N. c. assimilis
N. c. occidentalis - photo by @LaughingDove

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N. c. peninsularis


Sumba Boobook (Ninox rudolfi)

Endemic to Sumba Island in the Lesser Sundas.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Little Sumba Hawk Owl (Ninox sumbaensis)

Endemic to Sumba Island in the Lesser Sundas.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Togian Hawk Owl (Ninox burhami)

Endemic to the Togian Archipelago in Tomini Bay, off the coast of central Sulawesi.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Cinnabar Hawk Owl (Ninox ios)

Known only from a single specimen collected in northern Sulawesi.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Morepork (Ninox novaseelandiae)

The range of this species extends throughout New Zealand and surrounding islands, with populations extending as far as Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island; the former population is now extinct as a pure subspecies.

Three subspecies recognised:

N. n. novaseelandiae - photo by @Thatzookeeperguy

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N. n. albaria
N. n. undulata


Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook)

The range of this species extends throughout Australia, Timor and the eastern Lesser Sundas, and southern New Guinea.

Nine subspecies recognised:

N. b. boobook - photo by @Hix

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N. b. rotiensis
N. b. fusca
N. b. moae
N. b. plesseni
N. b. cinnamomina
N. b. pusilla
N. b. remigialis
N. b. ocellata - photo by @Najade

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Red Boobook (Ninox lurida)

Endemic to northeast Queensland between Cooktown and Paluma.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Tasmanian Boobook (Ninox leucopsis)

Endemic to Tasmania and islands within the Bass Strait.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata)

The range of this species extends from the Indian subcontinent in the west, through southern and eastern China to southeast Siberia, the Korean peninsula and Japan in the east, and into Indochina, the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula in the south.

Eleven subspecies recognised:

N. s. scutulata
N. s. burmanica - photo by @alexkant

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N. s. lugubris - photo by @robmv

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N. s. obscura
N. s. hirsuta
N. s. javanensis
N. s. borneensis
N. s. palawanensis
N. s. japonica - photo by @devilfish

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N. s. florensis - photo by @devilfish

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N. s. totogo
N. s. randi


Andaman Hawk Owl (Ninox affinis)

Endemic to the Andaman Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Philippine Hawk Owl (Ninox philippensis)

Endemic to the Phillipines; absent only from Mindoro.

Six subspecies recognised:

N. p. philippensis - photo by @alexkant

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N. p. proxima
N. p. centralis
N. p. reyi
N. p. spilonota - photo by @alexkant

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N. p. spilocephala


Mindoro Hawk Owl (Ninox mindorensis)

Endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Ochre-bellied Hawk Owl (Ninox ochracea)

Endemic to Sulawesi and Butung Island in Indonesia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Solomon Hawk Owl (Ninox jacquinoti)

Endemic to the Solomon Archipelago.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Jungle Hawk Owl (Ninox theomacha)

The range of this species extends throughout New Guinea and surrounding islands.

Four subspecies recognised:

N. t. theomacha
N. t. hoedtii
N. t. goldii
N. t. rosseliana

No photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Speckled Hawk Owl (Ninox punctulata)

Endemic to Sulawesi and Butung Island in Indonesia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


New Britain Hawk Owl (Ninox odiosa)

Endemic to New Britain in the Bismark Archipelago.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Moluccan Hawk Owl (Ninox squamipila)

Endemic to the Moluccas and Tanimbar Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Christmas Hawk Owl (Ninox natalis)

Endemic to Christmas Island.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Hix

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Manus Hawk Owl (Ninox meeki)

Endemic to Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Bismarck Hawk Owl (Ninox variegata)

Endemic to New Hanover, New Britain and New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago.

Two subspecies recognised:

N. v. variegata
N. v. superior

No photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.
 
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Uroglaux


Papuan Hawk Owl (Uroglaux dimorpha)

The range of this species extends throughout New Guinea and the adjacent Yapen Island.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.
 
Nesasio


Fearful Owl (Nesasio solomonensis)

Endemic to the Bougainville and Solomon Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.
 
Pseudoscops


Jamaican Owl (Pseudoscops grammicus)

Endemic to Jamaica.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.
 
Asio


Stygian Owl (Asio stygius)

The range of this species extends patchily from northwest Mexico into Central America and the Caribbean, and south from Colombia and Ecuador into much of South America as far as northeast Argentina and southeast Brazil.

Four subspecies recognised:

A. s. stygius - photo by @devilfish

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A. s. barberoi - photo by @devilfish

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A. s. robustus
A. s. siguapa


Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

The range of this species extends throughout Eurasia from the British Isles and Iberian Peninsula south to the Azores, Canary Islands and north Africa, and east from Scandinavia to Siberia, Japan and Korea, and from the Mediterranean through Asia Minor and central Asia to north-central China; populations in North America are widespread as far south as northern Mexico.

Four subspecies recognised:

A. o. otus - photo by @ThylacineAlive

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A. o. canariensis
A. o. wilsonianus - photo by @KCZooFan

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A. o. tuftsi


Abyssinian Long-eared Owl (Asio abyssinicus)

The range of this species extends from the Ethiopian Highlands south through Kenya and western Uganda into eastern Zaire.

Two subspecies recognised:

A. a. abyssinicus - photo by @lintworm

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A. a. graueri


Malagasy Long-eared Owl (Asio madagascarensis)

Endemic to Madagascar.

Monotypic; no photographs of this taxon exist in the Zoochat gallery.


Striped Owl (Asio clamator)

The range of this species extends from southern Mexico through Central America and throughout South America as far south as Paraguay, northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Three subspecies recognised:

A. c. clamator - photo by @devilfish

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A. c. forbesi - photo by @ralph

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A. c. midas - photo by @ThylacineAlive

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Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Widely distributed in several disjunct populations; in North America from Alaska and the Bering Strait east to Labrador, and south to California and North Carolina; in Eurasia locally from Scandinavia, the British Isles and Iberian Peninsula eastwards through central Europe and Asia to northeast Siberia, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and northern China; locally throughout South America; scattered island populations in the Caribbean, Falklands, Juan Fernandez Islands and Hawaii.

Seven subspecies recognised:

A. f. flammeus - photo by @Bwassa

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A. f. bogotensis
A. f. suinda - photo by @devilfish

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A. f. sanfordi
A. f. sandwichensis - photo by @African Grey

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A. f. ponapensis
A. f. domingensis


Galapagos Short-eared Owl (Asio galapagoensis)

Endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

Monotypic.

Photo by @elefante

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Marsh Owl (Asio capensis)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout southern Africa and Madagascar, with an isolated disjunct population in Morocco.

Three subspecies recognised:

A. c. capensis - photo by @Nick@Amsterdam

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A. c. tingitanus
A. c. hova
 
And with that, we conclude our look at the various owl species of the world :) an index of those species which still lack representation within the Zoochat gallery will follow, with those I anticipate have the best chance of being added in future indicated in bold.

But first, a bonus image:

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This image represents a mounted specimen of the South Island subspecies of Laughing Owl (Sceloglaux albifacies), a taxon which may have belonged within Ninox, and which is (possibly barring a number of island species which are known only from type specimens and whose current status is unclear) the most recent species of owl to have been extirpated, the last proven specimen having been collected in 1914 with unverified sightings into the 1950's.

However, it is not - as many presume - the only known extinction of an owl species in recent historical times; the Mauritus Owl (Mascarenotus sauzieri) persisted until c.1850, whilst the closely related Reunion Owl (Mascarenotus grucheti) may have survived into the 17th century. Neither is known from extant soft tissue material, however.
 
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Here follows - as noted above - a list of the owl species which we still lack photographs for within the Zoochat gallery; I have highlighted those species I feel are likeliest to be added to the gallery in bold, either due to the species in question being widespread or (in many cases) because I know for a fact that Zoochatters have photographed them ;)

Curaçao Barn Owl (Tyto bargei)
Lesser Antilles Barn Owl (Tyto insularis)
Galapagos Barn Owl (Tyto punctatissima)
Cape Verde Barn Owl (Tyto detorta)
Andaman Barn Owl (Tyto deroepstorrfi)
Madagascar Red Owl (Tyto soumagnei)
Boang Barn Owl (Tyto crassirostris)
Golden Masked Owl (Tyto aurantia)
Taliabu Masked Owl (Tyto nigrobrunnea)
Minahassa Masked Owl (Tyto inexspectata)
Lesser Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula)
Manus Masked Owl (Tyto manusi)
Sulawesi Masked Owl (Tyto rosenbergii)
African Grass Owl (Tyto capensis)
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Ceylon Bay Owl (Phodilus assimilis)
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White-fronted Scops Owl (Otus sagittatus)
Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni)
Cinnamon Scops Owl (Otus icterorhynchus)
Sokoke Scops Owl (Otus ireneae)
Andaman Scops Owl (Otus balli)
Flores Scops Owl (Otus alfredi)
Stresemann's Scops Owl (Otus stresemanni)
Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus)
Javan Scops Owl (Otus angelinae)
Mindanao Scops Owl (Otus mirus)
Mindoro Scops Owl (Otus mindorensis)
São Tomé Scops Owl (Otus hartlaubi)
Torotoroka Scops Owl (Otus madagascarensis)
Mayotte Scops Owl (Otus mayottensis)
Grand Comoro Scops Owl (Otus pauliani)
Anjouan Scops Owl (Otus capnodes)
Moheli Scops Owl (Otus moheliensis)
Pemba Scops Owl (Otus pembaensis)
Cyprus Scops Owl (Otus cyprius)
Arabian Scops Owl (Otus pamelae)
Socotra Scops Owl (Otus socotranus)
Elegant Scops Owl (Otus elegans)
Moluccan Scops Owl (Otus magicus)
Wetar Scops Owl (Otus tempestatis)
Sula Scops Owl (Otus sulaensis)
Biak Scops Owl (Otus beccari)
Kalidupa Scops Owl (Otus kalidupae)
Sulawesi Scops Owl (Otus manadensis)
Siau Scops Owl (Otus siaoensis)
Sangihe Scops Owl (Otus collari)
Mantanani Scops Owl (Otus mantananensis)
Seychelles Scops Owl (Otus insularis)
Nicobar Scops Owl (Otus alius)
Simeulue Scops Owl (Otus umbra)
Enggano Scops Owl (Otus enganensis)
Mentawi Scops Owl (Otus mentawi)
Palawan Scops Owl (Otus fuliginosus)
Wallace's Scops Owl (Otus silvicola)
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Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus)
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Oaxaca Screech Owl (Megascops lambi)
Pacific Screech Owl (Megascops cooperi)
Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus)
Balsas Screech Owl (Megascops seductus)
Bare-shanked Screech Owl (Megascops clarkii)
Maria Koepcke's Screech Owl (Megascops koepckeae)
Peruvian Screech Owl (Megascops roboratus)
Tumbes Screech Owl (Megascops pacificus)
Montane Forest Screech Owl (Megascops hoyi)
Rufescent Screech Owl (Megascops ingens)
Colombian Screech Owl (Megascops colombianus)
Cinnamon Screech Owl (Megascops petersoni)
Cloud Forest Screech Owl (Megascops marshalli)
Northern Tawny-bellied Screech Owl (Megascops watsonii)
Southern Tawny-bellied Screech Owl (Megascops usta)
Black-capped Screech Owl (Megascops atricapillus)
Santa Catarina Screech Owl (Megascops santaecatarinae)
Vermiculated Screech Owl (Megascops vermiculatus)
Foothill Screech Owl (Megascops roraimae)
Guatemalan Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae)
Rio Napo Screech Owl (Megascops napensis)
Puerto Rican Screech Owl (Megascops nudipes)
White-throated Screech Owl (Megascops albogularis)
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Palau Scops Owl (Pyrroglaux podarginus)
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Cuban Bare-legged Owl (Gymnoglaux lawrencii)
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Akun Eagle Owl (Bubo leucostictus)
Tawny Fish Owl (Bubo flavipes)
Pel's Fishing Owl (Bubo peli)
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Short-browed Owl (Pulsatrix pulsatrix)
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Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata)
Nias Wood Owl (Strix niasensis)
Mountain Wood Owl (Strix newarensis)
Omani Owl (Strix butleri)
Rufous-banded Owl (Strix albitarsis)
Black-and-White Owl (Strix nigrolineata)
Fulvous Owl (Strix fulvescens)
Sichuan Wood Owl (Strix davidii)
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Maned Owl (Jubula lettii)
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Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata)
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Red-chested Owlet (Glaucidum tephronotum)
Collared Owlet (Glaucidium brodei)
Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium californicum)
Cape Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium hoskinsii)
Mountain Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)
Cloud-Forest Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium nubicola)
Guatemalan Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium cobanense)
Costa Rican Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum)
Cuban Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium siju)
Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium sanchezi)
Colima Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium palmarum)
Central American Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium griseiceps)
Sick's Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium sicki)
Pernambuco Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum)
Amazonian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium hardyi)
Subtropical Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium parkeri)
Andean Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium jardinii)
Yungas Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium bolivianum)
Austral Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium nanum)
Ridgway's Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi)
Chaco Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium tucumanum)
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Chestnut-backed Owlet (Taenioglaux castanonota)
Javan Owlet (Taenioglaux castanoptera)
Sjoestedt's Owlet (Taenioglaux sjoestedti)
Chestnut Owlet (Taenioglaux castanea)
Etchecopar's Owlet (Taenioglaux etchecopari)
Albertine Owlet (Taenioglaux albertina)
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Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi)
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Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti)
Ethiopian Little Owl (Athene spilogastra)
White-browed Owl (Athene superciliaris)
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Unspotted Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius ridgwayi)
Buff-fronted Owl (Aegolius harrisii)
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Sumba Boobook (Ninox rudolfi)
Little Sumba Hawk Owl (Ninox sumbaensis)
Togian Hawk Owl (Ninox burhami)
Cinnabar Hawk Owl (Ninox ios)
Red Boobook (Ninox lurida)
Tasmanian Boobook (Ninox leucopsis)
Andaman Hawk Owl (Ninox affinis)
Mindoro Hawk Owl (Ninox mindorensis)
Ochre-bellied Hawk Owl (Ninox ochracea)
Solomon Hawk Owl (Ninox jacquinoti)
Jungle Hawk Owl (Ninox theomacha)
Speckled Hawk Owl (Ninox punctulata)
New Britain Hawk Owl (Ninox odiosa)
Moluccan Hawk Owl (Ninox squamipila)
Manus Hawk Owl (Ninox meeki)
Bismarck Hawk Owl (Ninox variegata)
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Papuan Hawk Owl (Uroglaux dimorpha)
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Fearful Owl (Nesasio solomonensis)
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Jamaican Owl (Pseudoscops grammicus)
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Malagasy Long-eared Owl (Asio madagascarensis)
 
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TeaLovingDave said:
The range of this species extends from the Ethiopian Highlands south through Kenya and western Uganda into eastern Zaire.
Click to expand...

Zaire = DR Congo, Zaire is an outdated name from the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko and should not be used anymore...

I have uploaded a picture of African scops owl in the Ethiopia wildlife gallery and one of a Madagascar scops owl in the Madagascar wildlife gallery.

For the Madagascar scops owl, it belongs to the subspecies rutilus. None of the literature on Malagasy birds recognized rutilus as separate species as the genetic difference is very minimal (see Fuchs et al. 2007), nor is it recognized by HBW. The name in Birds of Africa, as well of Lynx birds of the world as well as all recent field guides is Madagascar scops owl (not Malagasy as is the case for other taxa).
 
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lintworm said:
Zaire = DR Congo, Zaire is an outdated name from the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko and should not be used anymore...
Click to expand...

I thought there was something a little awry when writing up that range from my book :P but (as you can see from the timestamps) it was late and my brain wasn't at full steam. Strangely enough, elsewhere in the same book it does use the name DR Congo, so not sure why it used Zaire in that entry.

lintworm said:
I have uploaded a picture of African scops owl in the Ethiopia wildlife gallery and one of a Madagascar scops owl in the Madagascar wildlife gallery.
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

Mr. Zootycoon said:
My bird guide briefly mentions a possible split of A. n. vidalii from the other Little owls, based (partly) on sound. Any opinions?
Click to expand...

I've heard about that one, but haven't read the data behind it myself so haven't been able to make my mind up properly. I have, however, heard anecdotal accounts that (in captivity at least) vidalii and nominate Little Owl refuse to interbreed when held together, which perhaps suggests the call may be responsible.

Perhaps two taxa en-route to a split but not there yet?

Kakapo said:
Mine, for a start: you can just burn the author of this book, and follow by any other author that considere a split in a species
Click to expand...

I suppose you think this thread could have been finished at five or six species :rolleyes: with everything lumped into them. In any case, calls and behaviour are something entirely different to the genetic data and analysis which you so proudly reject.
 
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