Otus boholensis McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 323.
Bohol (McGregor).
Female, type.--Crown, nape, and interscapular area, conspicuously
blackish, the feathers sparingly vermiculated and notched with
sandy buff; basal portion of a few feathers sandy buff forming a
narrow and hidden nuchal band; forehead whitish, the whitish marking
continued as a wide band over each eye to tips of ear-tufts on inner
webs, outer webs blackish spotted with fulvous, these white bands
more or less broken by fine vermiculations of dark brown; loral
plumes whitish with blackish tips; ear-coverts grayish, shaded with
fulvous and narrowly barred with dark brown, the hinder ear-coverts
tipped with black forming a short band; side of neck whitish with
fine blackish cross-lines and wide blackish tips to the feathers;
behind ear-coverts an imperfect ruff of whitish feathers with wide
terminal or subterminal black bars; chin whitish; feathers of throat
somewhat modified in continuation of the ruff; breast, sides, and
abdomen rufescent cinnamon with fine vermiculations and irregularly
shaped median stripes of blackish brown, each feather with one or
two rounded spots of light buff on each web; under tail-coverts light
sandy buff with a few wavy blackish lines near their tips; legs sandy
buff crossed by distinct wavy blackish lines; feathering of tarsi
extending nearly to basal joints of toes; primaries dark brown;
the outer webs with large clear and distinct spots of sandy buff,
six in number on short first primary, and corresponding faint bars
on inner webs; secondaries dark brown with sandy buff bars somewhat
obscured by darker vermiculations; the primary-coverts resemble the
secondaries, and first quill of alula is marked like the primaries;
secondary-coverts, scapulars, and back vermiculated with sandy buff,
light buff, and blackish brown and marked with large irregular blackish
brown spots; under wing-coverts nearly white, inner ones uniform,
the outer buff mottled with blackish; edge of wing white; tail dark
brown, mottled with sandy buff and with seven or eight poorly defined
bars of sandy buff. Wing, 155; tail, 82; tarsus, 30; culmen from base,
24; culmen from anterior margin of cere, 16; ear-tuft, 29.
This owl is clearly allied to Strix lempiji Horsfield, and doubtless it
is closely related to Scops everetti Tweeddale, with which it should
be compared. The type was taken in the interior of Bohol and is the
only specimen known.
Genus NINOX Hodgson, 1837.
Usually larger than Otus; neither ruff nor ear-tufts present; tarsus
more or less feathered; toes sparsely covered with stiff bristles;
primaries much longer than secondaries.
Species.
a1. Breast streaked, each feather broadly centered with darker color.
b1. Wing-coverts uniform with no rows of white spots.
c1. Belly white, streaked or largely spotted with brown.
d1. Head grayer, much lighter than back, which is browner;
tail clear gray tipped with white, the black bands in strong
contrast; axillars barred with brown and white; wing, 200 to
220 mm. ... lugubris (p. 261)
d2. Head browner, generally uniform with the back, seldom grayer;
tail dark brown with blackish brown bars.
e1. Smaller; wing, 197 to 210 mm. ... scutulata (p. 262)
e2. Larger; wing, 218 to 235 mm. ... japonica (p. 263)
b2. Wing-coverts spotted with white; outer edge of primaries with
distinct rows of white spots.
c1. Top of head uniform ... philippensis (p. 264)
c2. Top of head more or less spotted.
d1. Larger; wing, 195 mm. ... everetti (p. 265)
d2. Smaller; wing, 162 to 175 mm. ... spilocephala (p. 266);
reyi (p. 267)
a2. Breast spotted or transversely barred with fine lines.
b1. Much larger; wing, about 240 mm. ... spilonota (p. 266)
b2. Much smaller; wing, 160 to 170 mm. ... mindorensis (p. 268);
plateni (p. 268)