raptor
Birds of prey mainly include Falconiformes birds and Strigiformes birds two major categories, Falcons birds commonly known as "eagles", mostly daytime activities, owls commonly known as "owls", mostly nocturnal activities, but there are also some species such as spotted part of the owl "xiūliú", longitudinal-bellied owl and eagle owl and other often outings during the day. Today, I would like to introduce the "owls" distributed in the Beijing area, that is, owl birds.
Birds of Prey
Owl birds are a type of bird of prey adapted to nocturnal life, and all species are national second-class protected animals. Their eyes are large and forward-looking, the eye area is formed by radial rows of hard feathers to form a face plate, the apex of the upper mouth is sharp and curved, with sharp and curved claws, based on these characteristics we vividly call this group of "owls". Owls inhabit forests and are generally at the top of the food chain, making them important indicators of habitat quality. Many owl feed mainly on rodents, which plays a very important role in controlling the number of rodents and maintaining the ecological balance.
According to the "World Bird Taxonomy and Distribution List" and the "Chinese Bird Taxonomy and Distribution List (Third Edition)" compiled by Mr. Zheng Guangmei, there are 2 families, 27 genera and 205 species of owl birds in the world, and 32 species in 2 families and 12 genera of owl birds are distributed in China. According to the Beijing Bird List (Beijing Bird Watching Society, 2014) released by the Beijing Bird Watching Society in 2014, the recorded owl birds in Beijing are 1 family, 8 genera and 10 species. Today we will introduce you to the 10 kinds of "owls" recorded in Beijing.
1 1
1 Collared owl
Collared Scops Owl
Latin name: Otus lettia
It is a smaller owl with a body length of about 24 cm, with tufted ears and feathers, and is a summer migratory bird in the Beijing area, which can be seen from May to August.
1 2
1 Red Horned Owl
English name: Oriental Scops Owl
Latin name: Otus sunia
The body length is about 19 cm, the owl is more common in Beijing, with ear clusters and feathers, and is a summer migratory bird in Beijing, which can be seen from April to September.
1 3
1 Eagle owl
English name: Eurasian Eagle-owl
Latin name: Bubo bubo
With a body length of about 70 cm, it is the largest owl in Beijing, with tufted feathers and eared feathers, and a resident bird in Beijing, which can be seen all year round and mainly moves outside the fourth ring road of Beijing.
1 4
1 Grey Forest Owl
English name: Tawny Owl
Latin name: Strix aluco
It is a medium-sized owl with a body length of about 43 cm, a resident bird in the Beijing area and can be seen all year round.
1 5
1 Long-tailed forest owl
English name: Ural Owl
Latin name: Strix uralensis
The body length is about 54 cm, the larger owl, without ears and feathers, mostly distributed in the northeast and other places, Beijing area is occasionally recorded.
1 6
1 Spotted-headed partridge
Asian Barred Owlet
Latin name: Glaucidium cuculoides
The body length is about 24 cm, the small owl, without ear clusters, is mostly distributed in central China, south China and other regions, and occasionally in the Beijing area.
1 7
1 Longitudinal-striped owl
English name: Little Owl
Latin name: Athene noctua
The smaller owl with a body length of about 23 cm and no eared tufts of feathers is a resident bird in the Beijing area and is widely distributed in all districts of Beijing.
1 8
1 Eagle Owl
English name: Brown Boobook
Latin name: Ninox scutulata
It is a medium-sized owl with a body length of about 30 cm and no eared tufts of feathers, a summer migratory bird in the Beijing area, which can be seen from April to September.
1 9
1 Long-eared owl
English name: Long-eared Owl
Latin name: Asio otus
It is a medium-sized owl with a body length of about 36 cm and tufted feathers, a winter migratory bird in the Beijing area, which can be seen from November to March. In recent years, a small number of individuals have bred in the Beijing area.
1 10
1 Short-eared owl
English name: Short-eared Owl
Latin name: Asio flammeus
It is a medium-sized owl with an inconspicuous ear cluster and feathers about 38 cm in length, and is a winter migratory bird in the Beijing area, which can be seen from November to March.
Editor, Proofreader: Wei Yao
Source: Beijing Wildlife Rescue Center