The bay owls (''Phodilus'') are a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
Old World
The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...
owls in the family
Tytonidae
The bird family Tytonidae, which includes the barn owls ''Tyto'' and the bay owls ''Phodilus'', is one of the two Family (biology), families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, True owl, Strigidae. They are medium to large owl ...
. The defining characteristics of bay owls are their smaller bodies, in comparison to the
barn owls ''Tyto'' in the same family, and their U- or V-shaped faces.
These owls can be found across southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia within forest and grassland ecosystems.
Taxonomy and systematics
The genus ''Phodilus'' was described by the French zoologist
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (; 16 December 1805 – 10 November 1861) was a French zoologist and an authority on deviation from normal structure. In 1854 he coined the term ''éthologie'' (ethology).
Biography
He was born in Paris, the ...
in 1830.
Most taxonomists include two extant species in the genus; a third formerly included has now been transferred to ''Tyto''.
The name is from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
''phōs'' for "light" or "daylight" and ''deilos'' for "timid" or "cowardly".
The
Itombwe owl (''Tyto prigoginei'') was formerly classified in this genus as the Congo bay owl, but morphological evidence shows that it is a member of the genus ''
Tyto
''Tyto'' is a genus of owls in the family Tytonidae. Depending on the species and the locality, common names include barn owl, common barn owl, grass owl, sooty owl, masked owl, field owl or simply owl. It is the most widely distributed genus o ...
''.
Description
Although bay owls are typically smaller at long, they bear some resemblance to the barn owls.
Other characteristics of the bay owl are groupings of feathers that resemble ears, and a divided face disk.
Bay owls have also been described as having U-or V-shaped faces.
The wings are rounded; they and their tail are chestnut-brown, with a few narrow, dark bars.
Their tarsi, or leg/foot bones, are relatively short and fully feathered to the joint.
Their toes are yellowish-brown with pale claws.
Their throat has a creamy colour and their underparts are often a pale yellowish-brown, with speckles of blackish-brown.
Distribution and habitat
The bay owls can be found in regions from India to Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
It is uncertain where their ancestors lived as the phylogeny of all species of bay owls has not been examined.
These owls can be found in both forests and grasslands, but are fairly scattered in their distribution.
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.
They are often found roosting no more than off the ground.
They are most vulnerable in this state and not very alert.
References
Further reading
*
*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.
External links
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Tropics
Taxa named by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
{{Strigiformes-stub