Omani Owl (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

Based on the info given above, the line should then be continued through the Mediterranean and out through the Gibraltar strait. That of course leaves the doubt as to which side a few islands fall on.

Niels

 

[l_raty]

That of course leaves the doubt as to which side a few islands fall on.

I think the main islands for which doubt would be left (ie., the Balears) actually lack little owls entirely.

 

[Richard Klim]

Little Owl

I think the main islands for which doubt would be left (ie., the Balears) actually lack little owls entirely.

...and even in Corsica, Little Owl has only been recorded as a possible/occasional breeder according to Thibault & Bonaccorsi 1999 (The birds of Corsica), despite often being explicitly included within the normal breeding range of nominate noctua (eg, König & Weick 2008, H&M4, eBird/Clements).

 

[Richard Klim]

Cucumiau

Why "Cucumiau"? Onomatopoeic?

Vincent van der Spek...

In het boek vind je diverse nieuwe populaire namen (met het beeldschone Cucumiau - een onomatopee),...
In the book you will find several new popular names (with the beautiful Cucumiau - an onomatopoeia),...

 

[Marcus Lawson]

Why "Cucumiau"? Onomatopoeic?

That's correct, where the bird is found the local people call it by this name, differing slightly from region to region.

 

[Nutcracker]

Listened to all the Little Owls on xeno-canto, couldn't find much support for a vocal difference across that red line, only one that made an obvious 'cucumiau' call (from NW Italy).

König & Weick give a very different boundary between noctua and vidalii, with birds north of the Alps (Germany, Denmark, Poland, etc.) in noctua rather than vidalii.

 

[Jos Stratford]

..In the book you will find several new popular names (with the beautiful Cucumiau - an onomatopoeia),...

Not entirely convinced that cucumiau is a 'beautiful' name ...makes me think of a demented cat!

 

[lewis20126]

Not entirely convinced that cucumiau is a 'beautiful' name ...makes me think of a demented cat!

I'm quite sure the new name in isolation will never gain traction. Other than XXXX Boobook, Morepork and perhaps a few others, owls are "owls" and the innevitable default will be XXXXXX Little Owl. Perhaps Cucumiau Little Owl might be "acceptable" though?

cheers, alan

 

[Ben Wielstra]

Cucumiowl?

 

[l_raty]

König & Weick give a very different boundary between noctua and vidalii, with birds north of the Alps (Germany, Denmark, Poland, etc.) in noctua rather than vidalii.

I already alluded to this above [post 287]: there have long been two competing systems, differing in how birds from central Europe are called--noctua in the Vaurie system, perpetuated by K&W, and which was initially accepted by DB to split "Athene glaux"; vidalii according to BWP, and which Undiscovered Owls now also supports. Recent mtDNA data are in agreement with the latter as well: Central Europe goes with Iberia (= vidalii); Italy differs and goes with the Balkans/Middle-East (= Cucumiau). (That being said, genetic data from the type locality of noctua itself, which may be a bit uncomfortably close to the transition zone, are lacking.)

 

[Richard Klim]

Little Owl

I already alluded to this above [post 287]: there have long been two competing systems, differing in how birds from central Europe are called--noctua in the Vaurie system, perpetuated by K&W, and which was initially accepted by DB to split "Athene glaux"; vidalii according to BWP, and which Undiscovered Owls now also supports. Recent mtDNA data are in agreement with the latter as well: Central Europe goes with Iberia (= vidalii); Italy differs and goes with the Balkans/Middle-East (= Cucumiau). (That being said, genetic data from the type locality of noctua itself, which may be a bit uncomfortably close to the transition zone, are lacking.)

Recent treatments: 'Italian Owl'.

 

[mb1848]

In 1795 the name for Little Owl was "Cucumiau" in Sardinia.
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/99350#page/836/mode/1up .

 

[Xenospiza]

I'm quite sure the new name in isolation will never gain traction. Other than XXXX Boobook, Morepork and perhaps a few others, owls are "owls" and the innevitable default will be XXXXXX Little Owl. Perhaps Cucumiau Little Owl might be "acceptable" though?

With Arnoud making up new Dutch names, there's little hope for me though!
I don't like it as it does not look like a Dutch word and will lead to confusion with the few Dutch people who don't speak Sardinian.

 

[MJB]

Cucumiowl?

Nice one, Ben!

Transliterated into UK English, 'Cucumiau' might appear as 'Cuckoomiaow', but that would mean the first syllable rhyming with 'duck', or the like...

If the first syllable should actually sound like 'look', then it might appear as 'Coocoomiaow', which takes us into rather uncharted territory...

The trouble is that unfortunately all too few perfectly worthwhile and doubtless rich in meaning words from other languages transliterate easily to accommodate English pronunciation rules, and then the endearing/frustrating/irritating* habit of people from UK employing an 'idiosyncratic' spelling approach places another layer of confusion on it...
MJB
* delete as applicable

 

[Nutcracker]

I already alluded to this above [post 287]: there have long been two competing systems, differing in how birds from central Europe are called--noctua in the Vaurie system, perpetuated by K&W, and which was initially accepted by DB to split "Athene glaux"; vidalii according to BWP, and which Undiscovered Owls now also supports. Recent mtDNA data are in agreement with the latter as well: Central Europe goes with Iberia (= vidalii); Italy differs and goes with the Balkans/Middle-East (= Cucumiau). (That being said, genetic data from the type locality of noctua itself, which may be a bit uncomfortably close to the transition zone, are lacking.)

Thanks for the useful clarification! :t:

I'd not say Slovenia is "a bit uncomfortably close to the transition zone"; there's a high mountain barrier just to the north which will effectively stop any intergradation there.

Does 'Cucumiau' include "Indigenous Owl" (indigena) as a synonym, or as a subspecies?

I'm quite sure the new name in isolation will never gain traction. Other than XXXX Boobook, Morepork and perhaps a few others, owls are "owls" and the innevitable default will be XXXXXX Little Owl. Perhaps Cucumiau Little Owl might be "acceptable" though?

cheers, alan

Or just "Cucumiau Owl"?

As for spellings / other languages:
* Домашна кукумявка (Domashna Kukumyavka) in Bulgarian
* Μικρή κουκουβάγια (Micro Koukoubagia) in Greek
* КӀукӀумяу (not sure how that transliterates!!) in Kabardian (North Caucasus)
* Кукумјавка (Kukumyavka) in Macedonian
* Cucuvea in Romanian
* Кукумавка (Kukumavka) in Serbian
* Čuk in Slovene
* Kukumav in Turkish

But the Italians are letting the side down with Civetta. Shame on them! 3

 

[Richard Klim]

Little Owl

Does 'Cucumiau' include "Indigenous Owl" (indigena) as a synonym, or as a subspecies?

That presumably depends upon the approach taken to recognition of intergrading continental subspecies. Holt et al (HBW Alive) indicates widespread intergradation between adjacent subspecies, with poorly-defined geographic boundaries.

 

[l_raty]

I'd not say Slovenia is "a bit uncomfortably close to the transition zone"; there's a high mountain barrier just to the north which will effectively stop any intergradation there.

Due north, yes, but what about NE...? Most birds in E Austria (Vienna area) have NW haplotypes; this is not separated by any mountain from the Hungarian plains; and you can go from Hungary to Ljubljana without passing above the 500m asl... In E Hungary, both haplogroups are present in significant proportions.

As for spellings / other languages:
* Домашна кукумявка (Domashna Kukumyavka) in Bulgarian
* Μικρή κουκουβάγια (Micro Koukoubagia) in Greek
* КӀукӀумяу (not sure how that transliterates!!) in Kabardian (North Caucasus)
* Кукумјавка (Kukumyavka) in Macedonian
* Cucuvea in Romanian
* Кукумавка (Kukumavka) in Serbian
* Čuk in Slovene
* Kukumav in Turkish

...Japanese? コキンメフクロウ kokinme fukurou, "kokinme owl".
(But note that the Slovenian name would be pronounced "Chook", which makes it somewhat different from the rest.)

 

[MJB]

But note that the Slovenian name would be pronounced "Chook", which makes it somewhat different from the rest.

....and for what it's worth, 'chook' is Strine* for chicken...
MJB
*Australian slangspeak

 

[Xenospiza]

КӀукӀумяу

K'uk'umyau (it's an ejective k).

 

[Nutcracker]

Due north, yes, but what about NE...? Most birds in E Austria (Vienna area) have NW haplotypes; this is not separated by any mountain from the Hungarian plains; and you can go from Hungary to Ljubljana without passing above the 500m asl... In E Hungary, both haplogroups are present in significant proportions.

OK, yep - so one would need to DNA-test Scopoli's type specimen (assuming there is one!). Do the two haplogroups interbreed freely?