Usumbara eagle owl
| Usumbara 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. vosseleri |
| Population statistics | |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable[1] |
The Usumbara eagle owl (Bubo vosseleri), or Nduk eagle owl is a species of owl, and found exclusively in a small area in East Africa. It has only recently been declared to be a subspecies of Fraser's eagle owl (Bubo poensis), of which it shares some similarities.[2]
Description
The Usumbara eagle owl has a length of 17.7 to 18.8 inches; females are slightly larger than males. It is largely brown on its upper body, marked with dark brown bars. The front breast has a dense brown-black patch pattern, with the rest of the underside irregularly streaked with narrow, dark longitudinal stripes over a lightly-colored base. The facial disk is a deep tan, and framed on either side by a thick black ring extending from the eyebrows almost to the chin. The eyes are dark orange-brown.
Range and habitat
The distribution area of this owl is very small, limited to the Usumbara and the Uluguru mountain ranges in northeastern Tanzania, with a possibility of occurring in the Nguru mountains as well. It inhabits evergreen mountain forests, forest edges and plantations at heights between 2,700 and 4,500 feet. These owls will occasionally migrate to lower valleys when the weather is cold at the higher elevations.
