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Omani Owl (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Richard Klim
- Start date
Richard Klim
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IOC World Bird List
Omani Owl Strix omanensis listed as a candidate for addition.
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/update-diary/
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/proposed-splits/
Omani Owl Strix omanensis listed as a candidate for addition.
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/update-diary/
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/proposed-splits/
Dutch Birding magazine is one of the most serious birding magazine in Europe, one of the most well organised and graphically cured and with the best outline and printing quality !! Far better in graphic and in information given than some more referred magazines.... and alwasy with a detailed review !
The paper is simply gorgeous and very detailed and well presented, really a great work far better than some recent cases for birds new to science I have seen...
Of course Arnoud is the main editor of DB and I could understand he wanted to publish this in is magazine, not because he does not wanted the paper to be peer rewieved but because when you have a new "son" you want it to born in your most beloved place, in that case in your own beloved magazine !!
Of course, to describe a fully new species, it would has been better IBIS, or Bull BOC or similar, only because these are considered the proper place to publish such information.
Of course we may then argue for the lacking on a specimen as olotipo, but indeed there are some previous cases like the Pink Iguana from Galapagos recently described by an Italian herpetologist (though for this species we have the blood sample at Roma Museum) and other quoted cases in the paper by Robb et al.
One feather at least would have been desiderable as olotipo and for genetic confirmation !
However, it would be the time to change some OLD fashion ruels in zoological world !!
Later, DNA would surely be available by findind feathers there
ciao
Andrea Corso
on my way to LINOSa island with the birding team MISC
The paper is simply gorgeous and very detailed and well presented, really a great work far better than some recent cases for birds new to science I have seen...
Of course Arnoud is the main editor of DB and I could understand he wanted to publish this in is magazine, not because he does not wanted the paper to be peer rewieved but because when you have a new "son" you want it to born in your most beloved place, in that case in your own beloved magazine !!
Of course, to describe a fully new species, it would has been better IBIS, or Bull BOC or similar, only because these are considered the proper place to publish such information.
Of course we may then argue for the lacking on a specimen as olotipo, but indeed there are some previous cases like the Pink Iguana from Galapagos recently described by an Italian herpetologist (though for this species we have the blood sample at Roma Museum) and other quoted cases in the paper by Robb et al.
One feather at least would have been desiderable as olotipo and for genetic confirmation !
However, it would be the time to change some OLD fashion ruels in zoological world !!
Later, DNA would surely be available by findind feathers there
ciao
Andrea Corso
on my way to LINOSa island with the birding team MISC
Richard Klim
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Xenospiza
Distracted
George Sangster commented on the DB website that to have statistically relevant data on the (seven) identifiable characters of its plumage, you'd need at least nine specimens. With 6-7 known birds, this would mean catching the entire known population would not suffice!
Anyway, I assume further work will follow.
Anyway, I assume further work will follow.
Richard Klim
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jurek
Well-known member
Exciting!
However, am I the only one who sees that differences from Hume's Owl are rather slight?
Frankly, the differences are no bigger that between Tawny Owls in Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Especially that Hume's Owls in Saudi Arabia, which are geographically nearest to the Omani owl, have dark upperparts, about matching Omani owls.
Also, with few birds and one locality, we are unaware how constant are the differences. Individual variation in Hume's Owls is also poorly known. It may be true that no more Omani owls exist and the species is extremely rare, but, apparently, nobody searched other suitable habitat, especially Oman and Saudi Arabia in between the known ranges of two species.
Then a type specimen of Hume's Owl comes from Iran, and this would place Omani owls within the range of Hume's Owl. The origin of the type specimen was questioned, but, as Jos pointed, no real searches were made in Iran, and habitat appears suitable.
Perhaps the most practical method of establishing if Omani owl is really a new species, would be DNA testing of lost feathers/pellets and comparing with specimens of Hume's Owl across the range. It could also shed the light on the origin of type specimen of Hume's Owl.
Anyway, great discovery, and shows how much is unknown about owls!
However, am I the only one who sees that differences from Hume's Owl are rather slight?
Frankly, the differences are no bigger that between Tawny Owls in Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Especially that Hume's Owls in Saudi Arabia, which are geographically nearest to the Omani owl, have dark upperparts, about matching Omani owls.
Also, with few birds and one locality, we are unaware how constant are the differences. Individual variation in Hume's Owls is also poorly known. It may be true that no more Omani owls exist and the species is extremely rare, but, apparently, nobody searched other suitable habitat, especially Oman and Saudi Arabia in between the known ranges of two species.
Then a type specimen of Hume's Owl comes from Iran, and this would place Omani owls within the range of Hume's Owl. The origin of the type specimen was questioned, but, as Jos pointed, no real searches were made in Iran, and habitat appears suitable.
Perhaps the most practical method of establishing if Omani owl is really a new species, would be DNA testing of lost feathers/pellets and comparing with specimens of Hume's Owl across the range. It could also shed the light on the origin of type specimen of Hume's Owl.
Anyway, great discovery, and shows how much is unknown about owls!
DMW
Well-known member
What makes you say this? As I read the ICZN code, a photograph of the individual designated as the holotype is valid. Surely if the description conforms to the code, it is by definition sufficient?
Richard Klim
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Undiscovered owls
Robb et al...
Robb et al...
The forthcoming Undiscovered owls from The Sound Approach should indeed be fascinating. It's notable that van den Berg 2013 (Dutch Birding bird names) recognises the following taxa as distinct species:
- Tyto (alba) detorta – Cape Verde Barn Owl – Hazevoet 1995, König & Weick 2008
- Athene (noctua) glaux – Lilith Owl (incl 'saharae', indigena, lilith) – Wink 2008
- Otus (senegalensis) pamelae – Arabian Scops Owl – König & Weick 2008, Pons et al 2013
- Tyto alba alba – Pale Western Barn Owl
- Tyto alba guttata – Dark Western Barn Owl
- Tyto alba erlangeri – Desert Barn Owl
- Tyto alba ernesti – Corsican Barn Owl
- Tyto alba gracilirostris – Slender-billed Barn Owl
- Tyto alba schmitzi – Madeira Barn Owl
- Surnia ulula ulula – Northern Hawk-Owl (as distinct from S u caparoch – American Hawk-Owl)
- Athene noctua noctua – Italian (Little) Owl
- Athene noctua vidalii – Little Owl
- Athene glaux indigena – Byzantine Little Owl
- Aegolius funereus funereus – Tengmalm's Owl (as distinct from A f richardsoni – Boreal Owl)
- Otus scops cyprius – Cyprus Scops Owl
- Strix aluco mauritanica – Maghreb Tawny Owl
- Strix uralensis macroura – Carpathian Ural Owl
- Strix nebulosa lapponica – Lapland (Great Grey) Owl
- Bubo bubo interpositus – Byzantine/Aharoni's Eagle-Owl
- Bubo capensis milesi – Arabian Spotted Eagle-Owl
- Bubo zeylonensis semenowi – Turkish Brown Fish Owl
Last edited:
Arnoud van den Berg
New member
Fyi. For various reasons, Dutch Birding was the journal of choice for two of the Omani Owl paper authors (MR & MC). As the third author (ABvdB) is not only member of Sound Approach but also a Dutch Birding editor, the editorial team of Dutch Birding immediately realised they needed to avoid any glimmer of a conflict of interests (cf reactions #40 and #44 above). Therefore, it was decided that Andre van Loon and Enno Ebels were the Dutch Birding editors for the Omani Owl paper, approaching peer reviewers cq referees and editing texts, while ABvdB acted as an author in the editorial process.
Ian Lewis
aka Gryllo
GMK
Well-known member
They surely must be - my recordings of the Cypriot bird, with its additional quiet note (sample one bird seen singing at Bellapais!), does differ from the continental birds. I'm looking forward (hoping that) to AvB, MR & DC splitting this one! B
cheers, alan
Peter Flint is taking the lead on a paper combining vocals, morphology and molecules dealing with the case of cyprius.
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