Photos of world’s tiniest owl, recently found in Peru
Photos of world’s tiniest owl, recently found in Peru
Find considered a holy grail of South American birding
mongabay.com
March 23, 2007
One of the world’s smallest owls was spotted for the first time in the wild by researchers monitoring the Area de Conservación Privada de Abra Patricia — Alto Nieva, a private conservation area in northern Peru, South America. Biologists consider the Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) “a holy grail of South American ornithology.”
Seeing the Long-whiskered Owlet is a huge thrill,” said David Geale of Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) who was part of the research team that spotted the bird. “Its population is estimated to be less than 1,000 birds, and possibly as few as 250. Due to the rapid destruction of its forest habitat and its tiny range, it is inferred that the species is in serious decline. Until recently, the owlet’s key habitat was completely unprotected.”
 Long-whiskered Owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi. Photos by Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) |
“The creation of the Area de Conservación Privada de Abra Patricia — Alto Nieva, located in the Northern end of the Peruvian Yungas ecosystem, provides protection for the key site for the Long-whiskered Owlet,” said Hugo Arnal, American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) Tropical Andes Program Director. “By establishing a reserve and protecting the owlet’s forest habitat, ABC and its partner ECOAN are giving many other species a chance to survive as well.”
Some 316 other bird species are found in the northeastern section of the Peruvian Yungas. The Long-whiskered Owlet was first discovered in 1976 but is only known from a few specimen captured in nets. The recent sighting is the first of a wild individual.
The project was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Conoco Phillips, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Robert Wilson, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act program. The researchers hope the sighting will help the nascent eco-tourism market in the reserve.
Long-whiskered Owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi. Photos by Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN)
Long-whiskered Owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi. Photos by Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN)
