Manus Masked Owl
Encyclopedia
The Manus Masked Owl is a barn owl
endemic to Manus Island
in Admiralty Islands
, Papua New Guinea
. Some authors consider it a subspecies of Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae).
It is a poorly-known forest-dwelling species, which is rarely seen. Comparison with the closely related Australian Masked Owl indicates it is likely to have large territories
, and the population may be smaller than 1000.
Tytonidae
Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
endemic to Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
in Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Some authors consider it a subspecies of Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae).
It is a poorly-known forest-dwelling species, which is rarely seen. Comparison with the closely related Australian Masked Owl indicates it is likely to have large territories
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
, and the population may be smaller than 1000.