Bay owl
Oriental bay owl
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae
Genus: Phodilus
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I, 1830
Species
Synonyms
  • Photodilus

The bay owls (Phodilus) are a genus of Old World barn-owls. The defining characteristics of bay owls are their smaller bodies, in comparison to other barn owls, and their U- or V-shaped faces.[1] These owls can be found in South to Southeast Asia within forest and grassland ecosystems.[1]

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Phodilus was erected by the French zoologist Boho Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1830.[2] Some taxonomists place two species in the genus, while others include three.[3] The name is from the Ancient Greek phōs for "light" or "daylight" and deilos for "timid" or "cowardly".[4] Most classification schemes recognize three extant species in this genus:[5]

ImageScientific NameCommon nameDistribution
Phodilus badiusOriental bay owlPhilippines, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei
Phodilus assimilisSri Lanka bay owlSri Lanka and the Western Ghats in Kerala, southwestern India

The Itombwe owl (T. prigoginei) was formerly classified in this genus as the Congo bay owl, but morphological evidence suggests that it is a member of the genus Tyto.[6][7]

Description

Although bay owls are typically smaller, they bear resemblances to other barn owls.[1] Other characteristics of the bay owl are groupings of feathers that resemble ears, and a divided face disk.[1] Bay owls have also been attributed with U-or V-shaped faces.[1][3] Their wings are rounded and their tail is chestnut-colored, with a few narrow, dark bars.[8]  Their tarsi, or leg/foot bones, are relatively short and fully feathered to the joint.[3] Their toes are yellowish-brown with pale claws.[3] Their throat has a creamy color and their underparts are often a pale yellowish-brown, with speckles of blackish-brown coloring.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The bay owl can be found in regions from India to Southeast Asia and Indonesia.[1] It is uncertain where the ancestors of these avians lived as the phylogeny of all species of bay owls has not been analyzed.[9] These owls can be found in both forests and grasslands, but are fairly scattered in their distribution.[9] However, their primary habitat is within dense evergreen forests, where the owls may roost during the day in the opening of tree trunks or branches sheltered by palm tree leaves.[1] They are often found roosting no more than 2 meters off the ground.[1] They are most vulnerable in this state and not very alert.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Bay Owl". Owl Rescue. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  2. ↑ Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Isidore (1830). "Remarques sur les charactères et la classification des oiseaux de proie nocturnes, et description d'un genre nouveau sous la nom de Phodilus". Annales des sciences naturelles (in French). 21: 194–203 [199].
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 König, Claus & Weick, Friedhelm (2008). Owls of the World. London, UK: A & C Black. pp. 209, 230–233. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Owls". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  6. ↑ König, Claus (2015). Owls of the world. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2. OCLC 929818095.
  7. ↑ "Owls – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  8. ↑ Lewis, Deane. "Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) - Information, Pictures, Sounds". The Owl Pages. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  9. 1 2 Uva, Vera; Päckert, Martin; Cibois, Alice; Fumagalli, Luca; Roulin, Alexandre (2018-08-01). "Comprehensive molecular phylogeny of barn owls and relatives (Family: Tytonidae), and their six major Pleistocene radiations". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 125: 127–137. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.013. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 29535030.

Further reading

  • Media related to Phodilus at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Phodilus at Wikispecies


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