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1815-8242 ISSN: The World's Rarest Bird? Long-whiskered Owlet Peru of mas mundo? buho mochuelo peludo Peru raro del del <LEI El USA 06515 CT, ;n, Abstract Long-whiskered (h\lci •.... without question ? V, is c . be to a distant cousin of the desert-dwelling Elf hvl [Miout, it ( Ma\n Kvl is a denizen ot the Rio (.loud torcst. perched IN00-2 NWhuelitodt Lowety o V, duda sin c r; 1 1 .' :>, I mundo. Se cree que es un prinn distante del lit illamado «enano» en N 1 i sierto del suroeste de los Estados Unidos y la region central de Mexic. El ,' >. Rio Mayo, entre los 1800 y 2100 metres en Departamento de San I el The year 2007 marks 30 the th anniversary year owl in the world, and quite possibly the rarest bird in the world. The Long-whiskered Owlet (Xtrwgaux hn veri | was discovered and named from specimens three collected in 1976 and 1977 formally recognized in (O'Neill and name Graves). Spanish the Its is Mocheulitode Lowery Lowery or strange owl of while to the French Chouette de Lowery. The Germans it is refer to as the Lowery-Zwergkauz. Like the Loch it Ness monster and legendary sea serpents this owlet and Of th base- wh.skers C and v long art, unique vei is rarely seen and hardly ever photographed. In fact, umageot and on he sides of the facial iisj., P| t die t bill virtually the only information we have about that brown predominate dark to specimens collected is f owl comes this from three specimens, collected in all w and w, i\y spots fine lin< with bite blackish 976, a few and 1 responses to mimicrv of their calls, a and Wish the with a yello i gravish t.J brown. Its bill s i couple deemed of very recent photographs wen- that & The Long-whiskered Owlet of Peru Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird? fih-Atavj, An uncertain taxonomy The taxonomic name Long-whiskered full of the & Owlet GR, isXenoglauxhwai 1977). (O'Neill Graves, name both means Its strange owl and a reference is No other owl can be confused with the Long- to the unusual appearance strange facial of its whiskered Owlet. The only other small rwfc within feathering and the i rarity and remoteness. It is its immediate pygmy its range are the owls of the genus member sole of the genus Xetwglaux and therefore is Gkuadhon which somewhat are and larger longer termed monotypic. Pygmy tailed. owls are also brownish but their lower underparts are streaked rather Taxonomic placement of owl is still this little which to They conjectu^ral, on facial orbit. lack the given the lack of specimens distinctive long whiskers which build a other owls, facial give the Long- foundation of with relationships whiskered Owlet common The its name. Long-whiskered Owlet placed within the avian is 2008 170, & Smith Yacher: Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered C i Ecology Status Habitat Cloud unknown microhabitat forest, status Did Unknown, formation presumed insect ivorousStatus Unknown Foraging Ecology Population Size 250-1000 individuals estimated on basis overall <>t extent of cloud this forest habitat. Unknown Breeding Chronology Breeding Habitat Unknown, p (ting species Breeding Unknown, presumed Site cavity nesting species Territorial Size and Behavior Unknown, presumed establishes and maintains Unknown Courtship Nest Construction/Modification Unknown, presumed that female or male makes bottom a nesting scrap in cavity Number Unknown of eggs Unknown Incubation period Number young Unknown of Days from Unknown hatching to fledging Unknown Reproductive Success Rate Life History Information Status Longevity Unknown order Strigiformes and member plumes and a of the Family bristles is such Strigidae which and mostly bare and several skeletal features includes owls except the barn tarsi, all bay owls. outward It belongs to the Subfamily Tribe the Striginii, markedlv Sumini which within which usually placed between the carina of ste i 1 t it is Pygmy owls of the genus Gkucidium and the Elf Owl, the any other owl. kst another monotypic species which occurs only the and Ecology Habitat deserts of the American Southwest Konigetal (1999) regard the kinship between Xewgkux and Gkuddium as Long- ecology of the the regarding Information «unlikery» but placed between Gkucidum and still it sketchy Owlet us just as at whiskered Micmthetw ^ genera do as other taxonomists. Characters So far taxonomic relationships. a regarding its distinguish the Long-whiskered Owlet from these only Ovvlet identified Long-whiskered is the genera , include the pronounced enlargement of facial Owlet Peru of 1 Elf Owl. But, neither pellets nor prev ; Long-whiskered Owlet have remains of the yet been we Because small presume discovered. that it is it is Andes which occur elevations a cavity nesting species (again, like the forests of the eastern at I known Yunga from ,890-2200 meters, an area as the 1 young or Selva Alta (Pulgar Vidal 1996). discovered nests or of this owlet. Fluvial The Owl and Cloud habitat has been characterized as upper its Forest: Conservation Its humid subtropical cloud forest of definitive cc of undergrowth including often luxuriant layers of and Because of highly restricted range possible its bamboo, and topped by mosses, orchids, ferns tall all Owlet habitat loss the Long-whiskered is listed as an assortment of epiphytic layers of mosses, lichens, by and Near-threatened Birdlife International and orchids, the whole growing to 6-9 meters in height categorized as CITES assumed to occur in II. It is in valleys and diminishing to about 4 meters along small numbers in the limited habitat of the cloud the spine-like ridge tops where the three specimens Only specimens forest in this part of Peru. three were actually caught in mist nets. In 2007 one or have been collected so and given status further far, its more individuals were observed and photographed we and unwananted have collections are unlikely as no way of estimating potential impact of removing The most recent information regarding ecology even a from owl population. single individual this and behavior of owl comes from this researchers The and because area scientists m attracts tourists m working rlu Viv.< do onservacii Privada de Abra I very of the natural beauty and to a large extent its They Patricia-Alto Nieva. recorded at night its calls magnet remoteness. However, the ecotourism and were photograph on able to three separate it On one hand, functions as a double-edged sword. the occasions during daylight hours (American Bird and economies ecotourism offers hard cash for local Conservancy 2007). also monies to manage and conserve the cloud forest Like all owls, the Long-whiskered Owlet uses within which the Long-whiskered Owlet lives. Both vocalizations for territorial markings and possibly remain keen and key economic advantages have On hand ecotourism popularflj resulted. the other as for this owl con of short and of the ts soft threaten the very fabric < i A whisdes repeated intervals of about 10 seconds. habitat with one another for a glimpse as tourists vie second reported call consists of two distinct whisdes of shy and Other economic activities this retiring owl. by The followed a rapid series of higher pitched notes are presently affecting the area in other ways. somewhat rather suggestive of a territorial call but main activity in the department of San Martin is the 91% ftru s of production of palm amounting to oil yucca and production. San Martin ranks third in rice Knowns Unknowns Status: e I provide a Other crops cultivation Popular 2005). (El the But, The Long-whiskered Owlet how diverse economy. has been found. remarkable Oil, too, is for increasing litde known regarding anything about greatest threat to the fauna is the is its status We otherwise and ecology. have no knowledge of the numbers, encroachment by loggers deforesting this the placed have nesting, recruitment food, or foraging habits of pristine region. All of these activities this region we This owl. All have presumptive information. We Long-whiskered Owlet especially at risk. is Area assume was when the that because small primarily unprotected until recently it is it is Nieva - Alto its presumed cousin, the Conservation Privada de Abra Patricia : & Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered Owlet of Peru A young owlet Fig. 2. c 15(1): 165 2008 170, - & Smith Yacher: World's Rarest Bird? The Long-whiskered Owlet of Peru was by created the Ministry of Agriculture in Literature cited 2007 Comercio (El 2007). Ornithologists n infer that R A . ' Ameri.can . ...... 7, Bird Conservancy. 2007. Long sought after the species is likely to be in sen. ous decline ,because bird spotted Peruvian Nature in reserve, http:/ By www.abcbirds.org/medialeleases/whiskered of habitat loss. the way, this cloud forest supports rml i may several odier birds that be equally Birdlife at risk including /wwv the Royal Sunangel, Ochre-fronted and Antipitta, Burton, A. Owls ed. 1992. Johnson's Tody-Tyrant. of the world: J. their Evolution, Structure, and Ecology. Eurobook. Peter Lowe Publishers. Ummary Collar, N. M.J. Crosby, and A. Stattersfield J., J. Given the lack of information regarding this rare birdt.^K^BiTdlife ' ImTrnatfo^l^Trdlit owl should become it the focus of a major and Conservation Series N°4. Cambridge, England. concerted study to learn more about Furthermore, Clark, R. D. G. Smith, and it. L. Kelso. 1978 J., Working presumed bibliography " s rarity, restricted habitat, and ongoing 5 5 National WilHlif^ PoA L Wildlife Federation Scientific and .. , habitat. destruction from 1< Technical ! threat of decline. Therefore, imperative we it is that obtain more information regarding pri^"ht^A^.etonieido^ its patterns of ccmservad6n" m H m habitat and d o n 0-20/ selection thereby habitat requirements e i c i i p r e s a/ t 1/ 2 7 - 1 —- Conservation and manage * certain factual information ^ °* ^7^"' Acknowledgement 8 L^fTht WoTif" ' The authors would Yale Universit New Haven, Connecticut, and like to thank y Press. Ashleigh Hines- L° nd ° n Eng and Rundstrom for her drawing ' of the owl " figure included ' A O'Neill, and new genus in this article. J.P., G. R. Graves. 1977. Pulgar L Vidal, Javier. 1996. Geografia del Peni: Ocho Regiones Universo, Lin Naturales del Peni, (reprinted by Peisa).