The rufous fishing owl (''Scotopelia ussheri''), rufous-backed fishing-owl or Ussher's fishing owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to west Africa, where it is a highly localised resident along forest rivers.

Taxonomy

English naturalist

Richard Bowdler Sharpe Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English zoologist and ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his career he published several mono ...

described the rufous fishing owl in 1871. It is one of three species in the genus ''

Scotopelia Fishing owls are a group of sub-Saharan African birds in the family Strigidae, the true owls. Fishing owls have traditionally been placed in the genus ''Scotopelia'', but DNA evidence suggests they should be included in genus ''Bubo'' with the h ...

''. It is named after Herbert Taylor Ussher who provided the

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

Sharpe used in his description.

Description

The rufous fishing owl is a medium-sized owl, measuring in length. This is substantially smaller than the

Pel's fishing owl Pel's fishing owl (''Scotopelia peli'') is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae. The species is found in Africa and lives near rivers and lakes. It feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The ...

, which also occurs in the region. It lacks ear tufts and has an indistinct, pale cinnamon facial disc. The underparts are pale and are finely streaked due to the dark shafts of the majority of the feathers. The flanks may have a more rufous patch. The adults have barred

flight feather Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tail ...

s, with the upperparts of the wings (mantle, scapulars and wing-coverts) showing a mixture of rufous, creamy-buff and white. The mantle also has a few blackish marks. While being substantially smaller, the juveniles have similar markings to the adults, particularly in their wings. The first-generation feathers, however, tend to be paler than those grown after the first moult, particularly on the underparts. Young birds may also appear stumpier, presumably due to their denser, fluffier feathers. The feet and legs are bare and are yellowish-orange in colour. The bill is bluish grey, contrasting with a yellowish cere. Their call is a low, deep, moaning or dove-like hoot. It may be repeated at regular intervals (about 15–20 seconds) for at least an hour. Pairs may also duet. A study carried out in Ivory Coast showed that the best responses to playback experiments occur in the small rainy season during the full moon.

Distribution and habitat

The rufous fishing owl is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to west Africa. It is found in

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

, and

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

, where it occurs as a highly localised resident along shady river banks. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Although it lives in close proximity to the Pel's fishing owl, it has been suggested that they utilise the habitat differently. While the Pel's fishing owl is primarily found near larger, deeper water bodies, the rufous fishing owl seems to show a preference for smaller, shallower rivers. This may help explain why it has also been found in secondary forest, such as that near Kambama village, as long as there is suitable gallery forest where tree branches overhang the streams to provide fishing posts. It has also been observed to occur in plantations, suggesting that it may be more adaptable than previously believed.

Behaviour

The habits of the rufous fishing owl are poorly known. It is believed that, like other fishing owls, this species is probably mainly nocturnal. Diurnal activity has, however, been rarely observed. An individual was imaged in a camera trap in 2009 in Sierra Leone at midday. Daytime hunting, however, has yet to be seen, suggesting that nocturnal behaviours are more common.

Diet

It is thought to mainly eat small fish. Catfish were also recorded in the stomach contents of a specimen from Sierra Leone. It may also feed

freshwater crab Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...

s among other food items.

Breeding

Eggs have been laid in Sierra Leone in September and October and juveniles moulting out of juvenile into adult plumage, roughly six months after fledging, have been recorded in Liberia in July. It is thought that a single chick is the normal brood size.

Status and conservation

It was formerly classified as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

by the IUCN, however newer research showed that it is not as rare as was once believed. Consequently, it was downlisted to vulnerable in 2011. That being said, this species remains one of the rarest and least known owls species in the world and populations remain fragmented and continue to decline due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q963383

rufous fishing owl The rufous fishing owl (''Scotopelia ussheri''), rufous-backed fishing-owl or Ussher's fishing owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to west Africa, where it is a highly localised resident along forest rivers. Taxonomy ...

Birds of West Africa

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot