Sulawesi Golden Owl
Encyclopedia
The Minahassa Masked Owl (Tyto inexspectata), also known as the Minahassa Barn Owl, Sulawesi Owl or Sulawesi Golden Owl, is an endemic barn owl
living on Sulawesi
, Indonesia
. The name is derived from the Minahassa Peninsula, where it was first described as a breeding bird; however, it is also known to live in north-central Sulawesi.
The Minahassa Masked Owl has short wings with wingspan of 240-250 mm well suited to its habitat in deep forests. It appears to prefer undisturbed or lightly disturbed rainforest at an altitude of 100-1,600 m. As the primary lowland forests on the Minahasa peninsula has been destroyed, the survival of the species depends on the more inaccessible montane forests. The species is known to inhabit the two large protected regions (Bogani Nani Wartabone
and Lore Lindu
National Park
s) established in central Sulawesi and Minahassa Peninsula. The remaining population is estimated to be 2,500 – 10,000.
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...
living on Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The name is derived from the Minahassa Peninsula, where it was first described as a breeding bird; however, it is also known to live in north-central Sulawesi.
The Minahassa Masked Owl has short wings with wingspan of 240-250 mm well suited to its habitat in deep forests. It appears to prefer undisturbed or lightly disturbed rainforest at an altitude of 100-1,600 m. As the primary lowland forests on the Minahasa peninsula has been destroyed, the survival of the species depends on the more inaccessible montane forests. The species is known to inhabit the two large protected regions (Bogani Nani Wartabone
Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park
Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park is a 2,871.15 km² National Park on Minahassa Peninsula on Sulawesi island, Indonesia...
and Lore Lindu
Lore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species...
National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s) established in central Sulawesi and Minahassa Peninsula. The remaining population is estimated to be 2,500 – 10,000.