Phodilus
Bay owl
Genus of birds
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]
Bay owl | |
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Oriental bay owl | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Strigiformes |
Family: | Tytonidae |
Genus: | Phodilus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I, 1830 |
Species | |
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Synonyms | |
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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]
Image | Scientific Name | Common name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Phodilus badius | Oriental bay owl | Philippines, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei | |
Phodilus assimilis | Sri Lanka bay owl | Sri 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]
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]
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]
- König, Claus & Weick, Friedhelm (2008). Owls of the World. London, UK: A & C Black. pp. 209, 230–233. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2.
- Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Owls". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- König, Claus (2015). Owls of the world. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2. OCLC 929818095.
- "Owls – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- Lewis, Deane. "Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) - Information, Pictures, Sounds". The Owl Pages. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- 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.
- Pycraft, W. P. (1903). "On the Pterylography of Photodilus". Ibis. 45 (1): 36–48. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1903.tb03917.x.
- Bruce, M. D. (1999): Family Tytonidae (Barn-owls). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds: 34–75, plates 1–3. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-25-3