216. OTUS RUFESCENS (Horsfield).
RUFOUS SCREECH OWL.
- Strix rufescens Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, pt. 1, 140.
- Scops rufescens Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1875), 2, 102; Proc. Zool. Soc. (1879), 314; Hand-List (1899), 1, 287.
- Otus rufescens McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 46.
Sulu (Burbidge). Malay Peninsula, Greater Sunda Islands.
Adult.—“Everywhere bright tawny-rufous, browner on the head and upper parts generally, these also varied with small triangular cross-bars of fulvous, which become larger and more distinct on the wing-coverts; the outer margin of the scapulars paler and more inclining to tawny-fulvous; ear-coverts 25 mm. long, and colored like the head; lores and forehead clear fulvous, with little black spots along the shaft of the feathers; sides of face rufous; inclining to dark brown around the eye; behind the ear-coverts a line of black feathers running down the sides of the neck; under surface of body tawny-rufous, paler on the lower parts, and varied with little tiny spots of black along the shafts, less distinct toward the abdomen, and absent on thighs and under tail-coverts, which are uniform tawny-buff; quills dark brown, barred across with fulvous, paler on the outer margin of primaries, but less distinct on the secondaries, which are almost uniform rufous like the back, but with indistinct bars of dark brown on the inner web; tail rufous, mottled with dark brown vermiculations, making it look darker than the back, with remains of five or six, more or less plainly indicated, fulvous bars; under wing-coverts buffy white, more tawny on outer edge, and having a line of dark brown feathers near the outer margin. Length, 239; culmen, 229; wing, 132; tail, 66; tarsus, 27.” (Sharpe.)
This species is included in the Philippine list because of the single specimen collected by Burbidge which, however, may really represent an undescribed species. Sharpe says: “This bird seems to me to differ slightly from Bornean and Malaccan examples in having a much darker face, the ear-coverts shaded with black. I do not, however, propose to found a new species on a single example, and must wait for more specimens. The measurements of the Sooloo [=Sulu] bird are as follows: Length, 178; culmen, 18; wing, 122; tail, 66; tarsus, 22.”
217. OTUS CUYENSIS McGregor.
CUYO SCREECH OWL.
- Otus cuyensis McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 17; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 46.
Bu-caó, Cuyo.