[Richard Klim]

Jakosalem, Collar & Gill (in press). Habitat selection and conservation status of the endemic Ninox hawk-owl on Cebu, Philippines. Bird Conserv Int. [abstract]

The largely deforested island of Cebu, Philippines, hosts a forest-dwelling hawk-owl identified in the literature as Ninox philippensis spilonota but which is in fact a Cebu island endemic species, soon to be named.

König & Weick 2008 (Owls) notes that spilonota (of Tablas, Sibuyan, Cebu and Camiguin Sur) is probably specifically distinct from Philippine Hawk Owl. But the Cebu population is presumably distinct from spilonota.

The type locality of spilonota Bourns & Worcester, 1894 isn't stated in Peters 1940 - but hopefully isn't Cebu!

Olsen 1999 (HBW 5).

[lewis20126]

hmmm, I thought James E and others believe the Tablas bird to be the same as the Cebu bird? I've only seen the Cebu taxon at Nug-as in Southern Cebu whilst failing to find Cebu Flowerpecker. Des?

cheers, alan

[dnsallen]

Alan, I'm not sure how much I can say at this point but all will be revealed in a forthcoming paper in Forktail next month :)

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by dnsallen

Alan, I'm not sure how much I can say at this point but all will be revealed in a forthcoming paper in Forktail next month :)

I hope it's got a nice new name not just an old recycled one. N. fisheri would be nice but then I'm just sentimental!

cheers, alan

[dnsallen]

I didn't get to choose....

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by dnsallen

Alan, I'm not sure how much I can say at this point but all will be revealed in a forthcoming paper in Forktail next month :)

Rasmussen, Allen, Collar, DeMeulemeester, Hutchinson, Jakosalem, Kennedy, Lambert & Paguntalan 2012. Vocal divergence and new species in the Philippine Hawk Owl Ninox philippensis complex. Forktail 28: 1–20. [pdf]

Michigan State University News, 17 Aug 2012: Two new owls discovered in the Philippines.

• Luzon Hawk Owl Ninox philippensis (incl ticaoensis, centralis)
• Mindanao Hawk Owl Ninox spilocephala
• Mindoro Hawk Owl Ninox mindorensis
• Romblon Hawk Owl Ninox spilonota (incl fisheri)
• Cebu Hawk Owl Ninox rumseyi
• Camiguin Hawk Owl Ninox leventisi
• Sulu Hawk Owl Ninox reyi

PS. Was Forktail 28 distributed to OBC members attending Birdfair this weekend?

[Xenospiza]

Originally Posted by lewis20126

I hope it's got a nice new name not just an old recycled one. N. fisheri would be nice but then I'm just sentimental!

cheers, alan

At least he got the Tablas subspecies of Ninox spilonota.

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by Xenospiza

At least he got the Tablas subspecies of Ninox spilonota.

PM sent

cheers, a

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

The type locality of spilonota Bourns & Worcester, 1894 isn't stated in Peters 1940 - but hopefully isn't Cebu!

Rasmussen et al note that Bourns & Worcester described spilonota from 'Cebu, Sibuyan, Tablas, Mindoro' without giving a definitive type locality; but conclude that the description is consistent with specimens from Sibuyan.

[Melanie]

It's interesting that is has took 124 years to describe the Cebu Hawk Owl as new species but it must be also mentioned that it was thought to be extinct for 110 years (1888 to 1998).

[Richard Klim]

It's surprising that the OBC website still doesn't even mention Rasmussen et al or Forktail 28. It would have been a great opportunity for OBC to post a 'hot' news item to coincide with MSU's news release.

[dnsallen]

Here is yahoo's take:
How about this? http://uk.news.yahoo.com/owl-species...085304682.html
'The two new species are the Cebu hawk owl and the Camiguin hawk owl, found in the central Philippine islands of Cebu and Camiguin respectively.
They are described as about eight to 12 inches (20 to 30.5 centimetres) in size and hard to spot.'

Quite a good succinct summary of our 20 pages

but io9 go one better:
http://io9.com/5936114/newly+discove...te-mwhaha-face

Des

[Melanie]

Video by Pam Rasmussen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxkol...layer_embedded

[Richard Klim]

Ninox rumseyi and N leventisi listed as candidates for addition to IOC World Bird List.
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/proposed-splits

[dnsallen]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

Ninox rumseyi and N leventisi listed as candidates for addition to IOC World Bird List.
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/proposed-splits

Odd that the proposed splits have not also appeared on the proposed splits list

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

Rasmussen, Allen, Collar, DeMeulemeester, Hutchinson, Jakosalem, Kennedy, Lambert & Paguntalan 2012. Vocal divergence and new species in the Philippine Hawk Owl Ninox philippensis complex. Forktail 28: 1–20. [pdf]

Related sonograms now downloadable on OBC website.

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by dnsallen

Odd that the proposed splits have not also appeared on the proposed splits list

Ninox spilocephala, N mindorensis, N spilonota, N reyi now listed as proposed splits from N philippensis.
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/proposed-splits

[Richard Klim]

John Boyd (TiF):
www.jboyd.net/Taxo/changes.html [6 Sep 2012]
www.jboyd.net/Taxo/List10.html#strigidae

[Richard Klim]

BirdLife news item, 7 Sep 2012: Conservationists recognised in splitting of Philippine Hawk-owl complex.

[Richard Klim]

Birdwatch Listcheck article by David Callahan: Hawk owl split asunder.

[viator]

All of the proposed splits now accepted as species on the IOC draft 3.2 http://www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/species/