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Manus Masked Owl - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Manus Owl; Admiralty Islands Masked Owl

Tyto manusi

Identification

33-46 cm, wingspan about 90 cm. The only Tyto owl on Manus.

  • Prominent facial disc
  • Black eyes
  • Dark buffy-brown upperparts
  • Rufescent brownish-buff underparts with large blackish spots
  • Black tail with narrow, irregular yellowish-brown bars

Females are larger than males. Juveniles undescribed.

Distribution

Endemic to Manus Island (Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea).
A little known restricted-range species.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
Forms a superspecies with Minahasa Masked Owl, Taliabu Masked Owl, Lesser Masked Owl, Golden Masked Owl and Australian Masked Owl.

Habitat

Occurs in rainforest, probably only in hilly terrain at higher elevations.
Recorded roosting in caves.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet undescribed but feeds probably on small rodents, other small vertebrates and large insects.

Breeding

No information available. Nests presumably in tree-hollows.

Movements

Presumably a sedentary species.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)

Recommended Citation

External Links

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