Strix hirsuta japonica Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica,
Aves (1850), 29, pl. 9 B.
Ninox scutulata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1875), 2, 156
(part).
Ninox scutulata japonica Meyer and Wiglesworth, Bds. of Celebes
(1898), 1, 96.
Ninox japonica Grant, Ibis (1896), 111; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899),
1, 290; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 330; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 47; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907),
2, sec. A, 283.
Cuá-go, Manila; cok-cok, Calayan; ngi-ngi-aó, Cuyo.
Basilan (Mearns, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin
N. (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga
(Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Celestino); Mindoro
(Whitehead). China, Japan, Indo Malayan islands; in winter to
Celebes, Ternate, and Sangi Islands.
Adult.--"Above vandyke-brown, washed on the head with grayish,
and with rufous on the back, sides of neck, throat, and wings;
wing-coverts unspotted, the outer ones dark purplish brown, the
inner ones like back, scapulars with concealed white spots; outer
web of primaries light cinnamon-rufous with two or three partially
obliterated yellowish bars; tail reddish brown crossed with five
dusky bars and terminally margined with buff; under parts white with
long oval light chestnut-brown spots; under side of wing banded on
the inner webs of the feathers with yellowish isabelline except on
the ends of the primaries. 'Iris golden yellow; bill dark lead-gray;
feet light yellow.' (Platen). Wing, 218 to 235; tail, 115 to 136;
tarsus, 25 to 29; culmen from cere, 13 to 17." (Meyer and Wiglesworth.)
"A male of the Japanese hawk owl was obtained on the Island of Fuga. It
differs from the typical N. japonica from Japan and the Loo Choo
Islands in having the predominating color of the under parts white
instead of reddish brown, all the feathers being white, with an oblong
reddish brown spot, about 15 mm. long, at the end of each. Examples
from Luzon and Mindanao, however, approach the Fuga Island bird,
having less reddish brown and more white on the under parts.
"N. japonica appears to be perfectly distinct from the Indian
N. scutulata, the markings on the sides and flanks in the latter
species taking the form of wide bars with a detached heart-shaped spot
or bar at the tip of each feather. The sides and flanks thus appear
spotted, not longitudinally streaked, as in N. japonica." (Grant.)
The Japanese hawk owl is a common species. In Calayan Island I killed a
number of specimens on the beach and in both Fuga and Camiguin I found
it common in the forest. The number of bars on the wings and tail is
by no means invariable and must not be depended upon in identifying
this species.