Philippine eagle owl
| Philippine Eagle Owl | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family Information | |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Sub-family | Striginae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Bubo |
| Species Information | |
| Species | B. philippensis |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 3,500-15,000 (2013 est.) |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable[1] |
The Philippine eagle owl (Bubo philippensis), is a species of owl found in the Philippines.
Description
With a body length of 15.7 to 16.9 inches, the Philippine eagle owl is a relatively small owl species. The top of the body is brownish-red to dark brown. Primary and secondary flight feathers are banded in the same colors. The tail is dull red-brown with a dark stripe. The facial disk is more reddish than the rest of the body. The chin is pale reddish, the throat whitish. The underside is pale reddish brown with dark, brown vertical streaks. The legs are feathered to the toes. The beak is relatively large. The subspecies B. p. mindanensis has a slightly darker, heavily streaked appearance.
Subspecies
- Bubo philippensis mindanensis; Bohol, Leyte, Mindanao, and Samar islands
- Bubo philippensis philippensis; Catanduanes and Luzon islands
Threats
The Philippine eagle owl has been placed in the IUCN Red List as "vulnerable" due to habitat loss. A bird of dense woodlands, the species has been declining in numbers as a result of timber harvesting and clearing for mining operations; the islands of Luzon, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao where the birds are found (and possibly Sibuyan) have had most of their forested lands under the control of logging and/or mining companies and have suffered heavy forest loss, with the forests on Mindanao reduced to 29%. The island of Samar has 724 square miles of forest remaining. In addition to that, typhoons which hit Catanduanes in 1987 and 1996 destroyed large tracts of forest. However, it is known to tolerate modified habitats, such as secondary forest, stands of forest which were selectively-logged, and agricultural plantations with thick secondary growth; whether or not this behavior will stem the decline is left to further study.
