Strix (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Strix" owls


image_caption = Great Grey Owl, "Strix nebulosa"
image_width = 200px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
subclassis = Neornithes
infraclassis = Neognathae
superordo = Neoaves
ordo = Strigiformes
familia = Strigidae
genus = "Strix"
genus_authority = Linnaeus, 1758
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = Some 15, see text.
synonyms ="Stryx" Pallas, 1771 (unjustified emendation)

"Strix" is a genus of owls. They belong to the typical owl family Strigidae, one of the two generally accepted living families of owls, with the other being the barn-owls (Tytonidae). Common names are earless owls or wood-owls though they are not the only owls without ear tufts, and "wood owl" is also used as a more generic name for forest-living owls.

These are medium-sized to largish, robustly-built and powerful owls. They do not have ear tufts and most are highly nocturnal woodland birds. Most live on small mammals, birds and reptiles.

Note that although the genus "Strix" was established for the earless owls by Linnaeus in 1758, until the late 19th century many authors applied it to other owls - namely the unrelated "Tyto" barn-owls - in error. [Mlíkovský (2002): p.217]

pecies in taxonomic order

* Spotted Wood-owl, "Strix seloputo"
* Mottled Wood-owl, "Strix ocellata"
* Brown Wood-owl, "Strix leptogrammica"
** Bartels's Wood-owl or Javan Wood-owl, "Strix (leptogrammica) bartelsi"
** Himalayan Wood-owl, "Strix (leptogrammica) newarensis"
* Tawny Owl, "Strix aluco"
* Hume's Owl, "Strix butleri"
* Spotted Owl, "Strix occidentalis"
** Northern Spotted Owl, "Strix occidentalis caurina"
* Barred Owl, "Strix varia"
* Fulvous Owl, "Strix fulvescens"
* Rusty-barred Owl, "Strix hylophila"
* Rufous-legged Owl, "Strix rufipes"
* Chaco Owl, "Strix chacoensis"
* Ural Owl, "Strix uralensis"
* Pere David's Owl, "Strix davidi"
* Great Grey Owl, "Strix nebulosa"
* African Wood-owl, "Strix woodfordii"

=Fossil speciesMlíkovský (2002)] =

The genus "Strix" is well-represented in the fossil record. Being a fairly generic type of strigid owl, they were probably the first truly modern Strigidae to evolve. However, it is not certain whether several of the species usually placed in this genus indeed belong here.

Generally accepted in "Strix" are:
*"Strix dakota" (Early Miocene of South Dakota, USA) - tentatively placed here
*"Strix" sp. (Late Miocene of Nebraska, USA)
*"Strix" sp. (Late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewski, Poland) [Apparently similar to the Great Grey Owl: Mlíkovský (2002): p.218.]
*"Strix intermedia" (Early - Middle Pleistocene of EC Europe) - may be paleosubspecies of "S. aluco"
*"Strix brea" (Late Pleistocene of SW North America)
*"Strix" sp. (Late Pleistocene of Ladds, USA)

"Strix" wintershofensis" (Early/Middle Miocene of Wintershof West, Germany) and "Strix" edwardsi" (Middle Miocene of Grive-Saint-Alban, France), while being strigid owls, have not at present been reliably identified to genus; they might also belong into the European "Ninox"-like groupFact|date=February 2007.

"Strix" ignota" (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) is sometimes erroneously considered a "nomen nudum" but this assumption is based on what appears to be a "lapsus" or misprint in a 1912 source [Paris (1912: p.287) referred to Milne-Edwards (1869-1871: p.499) as the taxonomic authority, but the cited page only describes this owl but does not assign a specific name. However, the name "Strix ignota" is given on p.580 of Milne-Edwards's work referring unequivocally to the fossils described on page 499.] . It may well belong into the present genus, but this requires confirmation.

"Strix" perpasta" (Late Miocene - Early Pliocene of Gargano Peninsula, Italy) does not appear to belong into this genus either [Olson (1985): p.131] . It is sometimes considered a junior synonym of a Brown Fish-owl paleosubspecies.

UMMP V31030, a coracoid from Late Pliocene Rexroad Formation deposits of Kansas (USA), cannot be conclusively assigned to either the present genus or "Bubo". [Feduccia (1970)]

Extinct forms formerly in "Strix":
* "Strix" antiqua" – now in "Prosybris"
* "Strix" brevis" – now in "Intutula"
* "Strix" collongensis" – now in "Alasio"
* "Strix" melitensis" and "Strix" sanctialbani" – now in "Tyto"
* "Strix" murivora" – male of the Rodrigues Owl
* "Strix" newtoni" and "Strix" sauzieri" – male and female of the Mauritius Owl

Footnotes

References

* (1970): Some birds of prey from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas. "Auk" 87(4): 795-797. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v087n04/p0795-p0797.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (1869-1871): "Recherches anatomiques et paléontologiques pour servir à l'histoire des oiseaux fossiles de la France" (Vol. 2). G. Masson, Paris. [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k97145r PDF fulltext at Gallica]
* (2002): "Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe". Ninox Press, Prague. ISBN 80-901105-3-8 [http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (1912): Oiseaux fossiles de France. "Revue Française d'Ornithologie" 37: 283-298.
* (1985): Section IX.C. Strigiformes. "In:" aut|Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): "Avian Biology" 8: 129-132. Academic Press, New York.

External links