JAPANESE HAWK OWL.
- Strix hirsuta japonica Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves (1850), 29, pl. 9 B.
- Ninox scutulata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1875), 2, 156 (part).
- Ninox scutulata japonica Meyer and Wiglesworth, Bds. of Celebes (1898), 1, 96.
- Ninox japonica Grant, Ibis (1896), 111; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 290; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1902), 2, 330; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 47; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 283.
Cuá-go, Manila; cok-cok, Calayan; n͠gi-n͠gi-aó, Cuyo.
Basilan (Mearns, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Celestino); Mindoro (Whitehead). China, Japan, Indo Malayan islands; in winter to Celebes, Ternate, and Sangi Islands.
Adult.—“Above vandyke-brown, washed on the head with grayish, and with rufous on the back, sides of neck, throat, and wings; wing-coverts unspotted, the outer ones dark purplish brown, the inner ones like back, scapulars with concealed white spots; outer web of primaries light cinnamon-rufous with two or three partially obliterated yellowish bars; tail reddish brown crossed with five dusky bars and terminally margined with buff; under parts white with long oval light chestnut-brown spots; under side of wing banded on the inner webs of the feathers with yellowish isabelline except on the ends of the primaries. ‘Iris golden yellow; bill dark lead-gray; feet light yellow.’ (Platen). Wing, 218 to 235; tail, 115 to 136; tarsus, 25 to 29; culmen from cere, 13 to 17.” (Meyer and Wiglesworth.)
“A male of the Japanese hawk owl was obtained on the Island of Fuga. It differs from the typical N. japonica from Japan and the Loo Choo Islands in having the predominating color of the under parts white instead of reddish brown, all the feathers being white, with an oblong reddish brown spot, about 15 mm. long, at the end of each. Examples from Luzon and Mindanao, however, approach the Fuga Island bird, having less reddish brown and more white on the under parts.
“N. japonica appears to be perfectly distinct from the Indian N. scutulata, the markings on the sides and flanks in the latter species taking the form of wide bars with a detached heart-shaped spot or bar at the tip of each feather. The sides and flanks thus appear spotted, not longitudinally streaked, as in N. japonica.” (Grant.)
The Japanese hawk owl is a common species. In Calayan Island I killed a number of specimens on the beach and in both Fuga and Camiguin I found it common in the forest. The number of bars on the wings and tail is by no means invariable and must not be depended upon in identifying this species.