Taxon name
Strix butleri
(Hume, 1878)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Strix butleri
(Hume, 1878)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Hume, 1878)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
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.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Critically Endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
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.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
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).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
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).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There is apparently no information available on potential threats to this little-known species.
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Publication
Burfield, I.J., Westrip, J., Sheldon, R.D., Hermes, C., Wheatley, H., Smith, D., Harding, K.A. Allen, D.J. and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Birds. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
