Strix butleri | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Strix butleri | (Hume, 1878)
Publication
UAE National Red List of Birds
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Birds
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
Strix butleri;was previously listed as;S. omanensis;in del Hoyo and Collar (2014) based on the description under this name by Robb;et al. (2013).;S hadorami;(Kirwan, Schweizer & Copete, 2015) was previously listed as;S. butleri;in del Hoyo and Collar (2014) and before.Recent genetic and morphological analyses have revealed that the type specimen of S. butleri -;the geographical provenance of which is open to doubt - differs significantly from all other specimens previously ascribed to this species, indicating (despite the lack of vocal data definitively linked to the same population as the type) that two species are involved, principally because the degree of molecular differentiation is close to that in other taxa of Strix traditionally recognised as species, which led to populations of this species from S Oman to the Levant and E Egypt, which share the same morphology and vocalizations, being described as a separate species, Desert Tawny Owl S. hadorami.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The status of this species in the UAE is not clear. Individuals were heard calling in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Fujairah Emirate) on several occasions in March 2015 and March 2017, suggesting that there might be a small resident population in the area (Pedersen et al. 2017).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
There is no information available on the habitat requirements and ecology of this species in the UAE. In Oman, it occurs in rocky wadis with scattered trees, surrounded by cliffs and steep mountain slopes (Robb et al. 2013). It is likely that is requires cliffs for nesting (Robb et al. 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
This recently rediscovered and little-known species is suspected to have a tiny population size within the UAE and so despite more research into this species being needed, it is listed here as Critically Endangered under criterion D.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
There is apparently no information available on potential threats to this little-known species.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Strix butleri Animalia Chordata Aves Strigiformes Strigidae Strix