**3. Results**

There are some 268 owl species in the world [12] and as **Table 3**. shows that a new Pygmy Owl (yet to be validated) has been discovered by Luis Fabio Silveira, Curator of Birds at the Museum of Zoology, the University of São Paulo by its call during an ongoing expedition to the Neblina National Park area, in Brazil. Provisionally this


**7**

**Figure 1.**

*Kurazo Okada from Macapá, Brazil.*

*Diversity of the Owl Species in the Amazon Region DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94977*

22. Amazonian Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium hardyi* LC Stable

24. 'Neblina Pygmy Owl' *Glaucidium* spp. Nov. [35] Na 25. Subtropical Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium parkeri* LC Stable 26. Andean Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium jardinii* LC Stable

30. Burrowing Owl *Athene cunicularia* LC Decreasing

32. Stygian Owl *Asio stygius* LC Decreasing 33. Striped Owl *Asio clamator* LC Decreasing 34. Short-eared Owl *Asio flammeus* LC Decreasing

*status given; NT = Near-threatened and VU = Vulnerable.*

*referenced separately in the table).*

**Table 3.**

27. Yungas Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium bolivianum* LC Decreasing

28. Chaco Pygmy Owl (Tucuman Pygmy Owl) *Glaucidium tucumanum* Na 29. Long-whiskered Owl (Long-whiskered Owlet) *Xenoglaux loweryi* EN

31. Buff-fronted Owl *Aegolius harrisii* LC Stable but in Ecuador ranked as vulnerable [27]

*Note that all listed 'species' are not, yet, fully approved by the taxonomists. Known conservation status is indicated for those species listed to be in danger [36]. CR = Critical; EN = Endangered; LC = Least concern;Na = No conservation* 

*List and scientific names of Amazon region owl species [12, 13] (+one new species proposed after 2012 and* 

*Amazonian pygmy owl Glaucidium hardyi distribution map [from 34] with a scan of an excellent photo of* 

23. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium brasilianum* LC Decreasing

*Diversity of the Owl Species in the Amazon Region DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94977*


*Note that all listed 'species' are not, yet, fully approved by the taxonomists. Known conservation status is indicated for those species listed to be in danger [36]. CR = Critical; EN = Endangered; LC = Least concern;Na = No conservation status given; NT = Near-threatened and VU = Vulnerable.*

#### **Table 3.**

*Ecosystem and Biodiversity of Amazonia*

basin of the country.

**3. Results**

likely been made in both directions.

1. American Barn Owl *Tyto furcata* LC Stable 2. Tropical Screech Owl *Megascops choliba* LC Stable

4. Peruvian Screech Owl *Megascops roboratus* LC Stable 5. Rufescent Screech Owl *Megascops ingens* LC Decreasing 6. Cinnamon Screech Owl *Megascops petersoni* LC Stable

9. Southern Tawny-bellied Screech Owl *Megascops usta* Na

12. White-throated Screech Owl *Megascops albogularis* LC Stable

11. Rio Napo Screech Owl *Megascops napensis* Na

13. Great Horned Owl *Bubo virginianus* LC Stable

15. Spectacled Owl *Pulsatrix perspicillata* LC Stable 16. Band-bellied Owl *Pulsatrix melanota* LC Stable 17. Mottled Owl *Strix virgata* LC Decreasing 18. Rufous-banded Owl *Strix albitarsis* LC Stable 19. Black-and-White Owl *Strix nigrolineata* LC Stable 20. Black-banded Owl *Strix huhula* LC Decreasing 21. Crested Owl *Lophostrix cristata* LC Stable

8. Northern Tawny-bellied Screech Owl *Megascops watsonii* LC Stable

10. Roraima Screech Owl (Foothill Screech Owl) *Megascops roraimae* Na

*Glaucidium brasilianum*, and *Asio clamator* [28].

*watsonii*, *Lophostrix cristata*, *Pulsatrix perspicillata*, *Pulsatrix melanota*, *Strix virgata*, *Strix huhula*, *Glaucidium brasilianum*, and *Athene cunicularia* [27]. In Ecuador, the rather homogenous forests of the Amazon lowlands are home to nine species mostly distributed throughout the entire region including *Tyto furcata*, *Megascops choliba*, *M. watsonii*, *Lophostrix cristata*, *Pulsatrix perspicillata*, *Strix virgata*, *Strix huhula*,

Unfortunately, there is no available specific study on owls in Guyana, Peru and Venezuela. Also in the French Guiana and Surinam the total of 13 and 15 owl species sounds very small and it is equally not well defined which owls live in the Amazon

The occurrence of different owl species in the comparison of this chapter is based entirely on the latest known distribution maps [12, 13] and no new field research was undertaken in the region. Therefore, especially in the Andean region, it was not so easy to decide which "Pacific side" owls may or may not belong to the Amazonian fauna. As all these owl distribution maps are still in a state of flux so one can expect that the total numbers may hold up very well as any mistakes have most

There are some 268 owl species in the world [12] and as **Table 3**. shows that a new Pygmy Owl (yet to be validated) has been discovered by Luis Fabio Silveira, Curator of Birds at the Museum of Zoology, the University of São Paulo by its call during an ongoing expedition to the Neblina National Park area, in Brazil. Provisionally this

7. Cloud-forest Screech Owl *Megascops marshalli* NT Stable but in Bolivia classified as vulnerable [24]

14. Magellanic Horned Owl (Magellan Horned Owl or Lesser Horned Owl) *Bubo magellanicus* Na

3. Maria Koepcke's Screech Owl (Koepcke's Screech Owl) *Megascops koepckeae* LC Stable

**6**

*List and scientific names of Amazon region owl species [12, 13] (+one new species proposed after 2012 and referenced separately in the table).*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Amazonian pygmy owl Glaucidium hardyi distribution map [from 34] with a scan of an excellent photo of Kurazo Okada from Macapá, Brazil.*

new owl has been named the 'Neblina Pygmy Owl' [35]. That brings the total of the world owl species to 269, so 34 species listed for Amazonia represent 12.6 per cent. Similarly, 88 owl species of the world lives in the Neotropical zone of the world. This is 32.7 per cent of the world species. Amazon Region owls make 38.6 per cent of the Neotropical owls, respectively [12, 13]. There is only one owl species that has been nominated due to the region as Amazon Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium hardyi.* Its distribution map shows very well how difficult it is to know the exact limits of some species in the Amazon region (**Figure 1**). This tiny owl is difficult to observe in the rainforest canopy [12]. The latest book on Colombian owls [37] does not include this species, so the presented map extends a little too much to the west.

### **4. Discussion**

Based on the assumption that one in five, i.e. 20 per cent of the world owl species should live in the Amazon Region we can see that the rainforest has twenty species less (34 *vs.* 54) than expected. There can be at least two very distinct reasons for this. Firstly, we may not know, yet, all of the owl species living in the Amazon region. The practical limitations of calculating and identifying birds, especially night-time, mean that data collection is often very difficult if not impossible. This explanation is supported by the owl study difficulties summarised below:


The second reason could be that the rainforest may not be the most ideal biotope for many of the owl species which often depend on the prey available in the bottom tier of the forest which is flooded during the wet season. The wet rainforest prey availability and catch-ability can be very different from the dry forest environment. In Ecuador, it has been noted that owl diversity is higher in forested ecosystems than in open areas and in humid forests than in dry forests. However, even in Ecuador the Pacific lowlands harbour more species than the Amazon lowlands [28] somewhat supporting my second reason. It gains further support at the end of the conclusions.

#### **5. Conclusions**

More detailed research is needed on all species of the Amazon region. Only a small percentage of the basin's plant life has been documented or studied for their potential medicinal value [40]. Much of the ecology of this ecosystem remains unknown, and one can suspect that there must be many new owls and other animal

**9**

*Diversity of the Owl Species in the Amazon Region DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94977*

species out there waiting to be discovered. It may be the only area in the world where you can still hope to find a new owl species, as the recently found and not, yet, officially described new *Glaucidium* spp. Nov. owl shows (**Table 3**). Also, we will have no idea how many of those new species were or will be lost through rainforest destruction before they can be discovered. Therefore, stating the obvious, it is necessary to stop deforestation in the Amazon. South America's natural wonder may be perilously close to the tipping point beyond which its gradual transformation into something closer to steppe cannot be stopped or reversed, even if people lay down their axes. An area equivalent to the size of Turkey, and bigger than that of Texas has been lost to logging, farming, mining, roads, dams, and other forms of 'development'. Between only August 2017 and July 2018, Brazil lost 7900 km2

Amazon forest – nearly a billion trees – the highest rate of deforestation for a decade [41]. And in the following year in Brazil, alone, deforestation rose more than 88 per cent in June 2019 compared with the same month in 2018 [42]. Since then deforestation has again been steadily rising in the Brazilian Amazon, with deforestation alerts from August 2019 to July 2020 and is 33 per cent higher than in the same period of the previous year [43]. Unfortunately, it is not Brazil alone burning and deforesting the Amazon region. After two years in Colombia, I sadly concluded with my biologist wife that people in that country have very little respect for the forests and wildlife [44]. Since that time deforestation has increased especially in the Amazon region of the country. In 2017 alone, deforestation destroyed 60,300 hectares in Caquetá (one Amazon department) [45]. If current trends in the Amazon region continue, millions of extra tonnes of carbon dioxide will be released in the atmosphere with devastating long-term consequences. There will be immediate impacts like decimating biodiversity, and vital ecosystem destruction. The impact on regional economies could also be substantial due to the dramatic implications for regional rainfall, leading to drier conditions across South America's breadbasket and major urban areas [1]. Deforestation is not the only reason that the Amazon region is changing. Global climate change is having an important impact because the higher temperatures reduce the rainfall in the tropical Atlantic. This is causing regular drought periods over years thus increasing the susceptibility of the rainforest to fire [1]. This widespread devastation in the natural habitats is likely to have deleterious implications for the Amazon basin owl populations due to the sensitivity of many owl species to habitat disturbance [46]. A recent study in Ecuadorian owls found no relationship between species richness and the amount of surrounding forest cover [47] which tends to support my second hypothesis that the rainforest environment may not be the first choice of the owls. However, another concurrent study in Ecuador noted that the large-bodied frugivores birds in the same fragmented forests showed that frugivore richness corresponded strongly and positively to surrounding forest cover [48]. Clear discrepancies between different bird groups suggest that additional research is needed to evaluate how the impacts

of forest fragmentation may vary among the bird guilds.

of

#### *Diversity of the Owl Species in the Amazon Region DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94977*

*Ecosystem and Biodiversity of Amazonia*

**4. Discussion**

the presented map extends a little too much to the west.

Studying them is a challenge because.........

• incomplete detectability or false absences

• they are uncommon • their low densities

• usually go unnoticed

new owl has been named the 'Neblina Pygmy Owl' [35]. That brings the total of the world owl species to 269, so 34 species listed for Amazonia represent 12.6 per cent. Similarly, 88 owl species of the world lives in the Neotropical zone of the world. This is 32.7 per cent of the world species. Amazon Region owls make 38.6 per cent of the Neotropical owls, respectively [12, 13]. There is only one owl species that has been nominated due to the region as Amazon Pygmy Owl *Glaucidium hardyi.* Its distribution map shows very well how difficult it is to know the exact limits of some species in the Amazon region (**Figure 1**). This tiny owl is difficult to observe in the rainforest canopy [12]. The latest book on Colombian owls [37] does not include this species, so

Based on the assumption that one in five, i.e. 20 per cent of the world owl species

Compared with other avian groups, owls are difficult to study [13, 38, 39]

• elusive behaviour [38] • nocturnal habits [13, 38]

• and live in places difficult to access [13]

[13] [38]

[13] [38]

[13] [39]

The second reason could be that the rainforest may not be the most ideal biotope for many of the owl species which often depend on the prey available in the bottom tier of the forest which is flooded during the wet season. The wet rainforest prey availability and catch-ability can be very different from the dry forest environment. In Ecuador, it has been noted that owl diversity is higher in forested ecosystems than in open areas and in humid forests than in dry forests. However, even in Ecuador the Pacific lowlands harbour more species than the Amazon lowlands [28] somewhat supporting my second reason. It gains further support at the end of the conclusions.

More detailed research is needed on all species of the Amazon region. Only a small percentage of the basin's plant life has been documented or studied for their potential medicinal value [40]. Much of the ecology of this ecosystem remains unknown, and one can suspect that there must be many new owls and other animal

should live in the Amazon Region we can see that the rainforest has twenty species less (34 *vs.* 54) than expected. There can be at least two very distinct reasons for this. Firstly, we may not know, yet, all of the owl species living in the Amazon region. The practical limitations of calculating and identifying birds, especially night-time, mean that data collection is often very difficult if not impossible. This

explanation is supported by the owl study difficulties summarised below:

Owls are typically not covered by land bird monitoring programmes because of

**8**

**5. Conclusions**

species out there waiting to be discovered. It may be the only area in the world where you can still hope to find a new owl species, as the recently found and not, yet, officially described new *Glaucidium* spp. Nov. owl shows (**Table 3**). Also, we will have no idea how many of those new species were or will be lost through rainforest destruction before they can be discovered. Therefore, stating the obvious, it is necessary to stop deforestation in the Amazon. South America's natural wonder may be perilously close to the tipping point beyond which its gradual transformation into something closer to steppe cannot be stopped or reversed, even if people lay down their axes. An area equivalent to the size of Turkey, and bigger than that of Texas has been lost to logging, farming, mining, roads, dams, and other forms of 'development'. Between only August 2017 and July 2018, Brazil lost 7900 km<sup>2</sup> of Amazon forest – nearly a billion trees – the highest rate of deforestation for a decade [41]. And in the following year in Brazil, alone, deforestation rose more than 88 per cent in June 2019 compared with the same month in 2018 [42]. Since then deforestation has again been steadily rising in the Brazilian Amazon, with deforestation alerts from August 2019 to July 2020 and is 33 per cent higher than in the same period of the previous year [43]. Unfortunately, it is not Brazil alone burning and deforesting the Amazon region. After two years in Colombia, I sadly concluded with my biologist wife that people in that country have very little respect for the forests and wildlife [44]. Since that time deforestation has increased especially in the Amazon region of the country. In 2017 alone, deforestation destroyed 60,300 hectares in Caquetá (one Amazon department) [45]. If current trends in the Amazon region continue, millions of extra tonnes of carbon dioxide will be released in the atmosphere with devastating long-term consequences. There will be immediate impacts like decimating biodiversity, and vital ecosystem destruction. The impact on regional economies could also be substantial due to the dramatic implications for regional rainfall, leading to drier conditions across South America's breadbasket and major urban areas [1]. Deforestation is not the only reason that the Amazon region is changing. Global climate change is having an important impact because the higher temperatures reduce the rainfall in the tropical Atlantic. This is causing regular drought periods over years thus increasing the susceptibility of the rainforest to fire [1]. This widespread devastation in the natural habitats is likely to have deleterious implications for the Amazon basin owl populations due to the sensitivity of many owl species to habitat disturbance [46]. A recent study in Ecuadorian owls found no relationship between species richness and the amount of surrounding forest cover [47] which tends to support my second hypothesis that the rainforest environment may not be the first choice of the owls. However, another concurrent study in Ecuador noted that the large-bodied frugivores birds in the same fragmented forests showed that frugivore richness corresponded strongly and positively to surrounding forest cover [48]. Clear discrepancies between different bird groups suggest that additional research is needed to evaluate how the impacts of forest fragmentation may vary among the bird guilds.

*Ecosystem and Biodiversity of Amazonia*
