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Athene (owl)
Encyclopedia
Athene is a genus
of owl
s, containing two to four living species
, depending on classification. These birds are small, with brown and white speckles, yellow eyes, and white eyebrows. This genus is found on all continents except for Australia
, Antarctica, and Subsaharan Africa.
representatives of this genus are only known from fossil
or subfossil
remains:
The Cretan Owl was a flightless or near-flightless form that was more than 50 cm (almost 2 ft) tall. It went extinct soon after the island of Crete became inhabited by humans.
Late Miocene
(about 11 mya) fossil remains from Rudabánya
(NE Hungary
) have been tentatively assigned to this genus (Bernor et al. 2002). Considering the known fossil range of Athene and the misassignments of many Miocene strigids from Europe, it may be a basal
member of the present genus or not belong here. The supposed species "Athene" murivora is the name given to subfossil bones of male Rodrigues Owl
s.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, containing two to four living species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, depending on classification. These birds are small, with brown and white speckles, yellow eyes, and white eyebrows. This genus is found on all continents except for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Antarctica, and Subsaharan Africa.
Living species
- Spotted OwletSpotted OwletThe Spotted Owlet is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from India to Southeast Asia. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It...
, Athene brama - Little OwlLittle OwlThe Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there...
, Athene noctua - Forest OwletForest OwletThe Forest Owlet is an owl that is endemic to the forests of central India. This species belongs to the typical owls family, Strigidae. After it was described in 1873 and last seen in the wild in 1884, it was considered extinct until it was rediscovered 113 years later in 1997 by Pamela Rasmussen...
, Athene blewitti - sometimes placed in Heteroglaux - Burrowing OwlBurrowing OwlThe Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
, Athene cunicularia - sometimes placed in Speotyto
Extinct species
A number of mainly islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
representatives of this genus are only known from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
or subfossil
Subfossil
Subfossil refers to remains whose fossilization process is not complete, either for lack of time or because the conditions in which they were buried were not optimal for fossilization....
remains:
- Athene megalopeza (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Rexroad Late Pliocene of WC USA) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Athene veta (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Early Pleistocene of Rebielice, Poland) - Athene angelis (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Middle - Late Pleistocene of Castiglione, Corsica) - Athene trinacriae (Pleistocene)
- Athene cf. cunicularia (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Pleistocene of Barbuda, West Indies) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Athene cf. cunicularia (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Pleistocene of Cayman Islands, West Indies) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Athene cf. cunicularia (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Pleistocene of Jamaica, West Indies) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Athene cf. cunicularia (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Pleistocene of Mona Island, West Indies) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Athene cf. cunicularia (fossilFossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
; Pleistocene of Puerto Rico, West Indies) - sometimes placed in Speotyto - Cretan OwlCretan OwlThe Cretan Owl is an extinct species of owl from the Pleistocene of Crete, Mediterranean. It was first named by Weesie in 1982. In life, it would have been at least 2 feet tall, and flightless or nearly flightless...
, Athene cretensis (prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
; Crete, Mediterranean)
Late Miocene
Late Miocene
The Late Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch....
(about 11 mya) fossil remains from Rudabánya
Rudabánya
- External links :* *...
(NE Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) have been tentatively assigned to this genus (Bernor et al. 2002). Considering the known fossil range of Athene and the misassignments of many Miocene strigids from Europe, it may be a basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
member of the present genus or not belong here. The supposed species "Athene" murivora is the name given to subfossil bones of male Rodrigues Owl
Rodrigues Owl
The Rodrigues Owl , also known as Leguat's Owl or Rodrigues Little Owl, was a small owl. It lived on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues, but it is nowadays extinct. It is part of the genus of Mascarene owls, Mascarenotus...
s.
-
- Antiguan Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia amaura - extinct (c.1905)
- Guadeloupe Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia guadeloupensis - extinct (c.1890)