| Desert owl | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Strix |
| Species: | S. hadorami |
| Binomial name | |
| Strix hadorami Kirwan, Schweizer & Copete, 2015 | |
Thedesert owl ordesert tawny owl (Strix hadorami), formerly known asHume's owl, is a species ofowl. It is closely related to the more widespreadtawny owl and to the range-restrictedOmani owl.
This species is a part of the family Strigidae, commonly known astypical owls, which contains most species of owl. The other owl family is thebarn owls, Tytonidae.
The desert owl breeds inIsrael, northeastEgypt,Jordan, and theArabian Peninsula. Itshabitat includes desert, semi-desert, rocky ravines, and palm groves. It nests in crevices and holes incliffs. Its diet consists ofvoles,mice and largeinsects.
This is a medium-sized earless owl, smaller than the tawny owl at 29–33 cm in length. It is largelynocturnal and sedentary. Its stocky body and round head recall a small tawny owl, but it is paler, less streaked, particularly on the underparts, and has yellow eyes.
The call of the desert owl is ahoooo-ho-ho-ho-ho, described as similar in rhythm toEurasian collared dove. The call of females is deeper and less distinct than the call of males.
This species was known for over a century by the scientific nameStrix butleri, but a 2015 study demonstrated that theholotype ofS. butleri was not actually a member of this species, but was instead most likely anOmani owl (which had been described as a new species,S. omanensis, in 2013). Because the allocation ofStrix butleri to the Omani owl left the more widespread species without a name, the authors of the study named itS. hadorami after Israeli ornithologistHadoram Shirihai, and gave it the new common name desert tawny owl (which has been subsequently shortened to desert owl by some authors).[3]
