Indian Scops-Owl

SCI Name:  Otus bakkamoena
Protonym:  Otus bakkamoena Indn.Zool. p.3 pl.3
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Otus
Taxonomy Code:  insowl1
Type Locality:  Ceylon.
Author:  Pennant
Publish Year:  1769
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

OTUS
(Strigidae; Ϯ Indian Scops Owl O. bakkamoena) L. otus  small eared owl  < Gr. ωτος ōtos  eared owl; "III.  OTUS BAKKAMOENA.  The Little Horn Owl.   THIS elegant species is found in Ceylon, is called there Bakkamoena, and is a scarce species even in that island.   It is represented of its natural size. The irides are scarlet: the horns take their origin from the base of the bill, and point to the sides of the head: on their inner side they are dusky, on their exterior white.  The bill is dusky, surrounded with long bristles: the circle of feathers round the eyes is of a very pale ash-color: the external circle of a yellowish brown.  The head of a deep ash-color: the back dusky: coverts of the wings grey, marked with narrow lines of black, pointing downwards: the quil feathers regularly barred with black and white: the breast buff-colored, marked with small sagittal black spots: the legs feathered half way down: the naked part of a reddish yellow." (Pennant 1769); "Otus Pennant, Indian Zool., 1769, p. 3. Type, by monotypy, Otus bakkamoena Pennant." (Peters 1940, IV, 86).  
Var. Otis.   
Synon. Acnemis, Athenoptera, Ephialtes, Gymnoscops, Heteroscops, Lempijius, Pisorhina, Scops, Scototheres, Zorca.

otus
L. otus  eared owl  < Gr. ωτος ōtos  eared owl; "42. STRIX.  ...  Otus.  4. S. capite auriculato pennis senis. Faun. svec. 47.  Otus s. Asio. Bell. av. 25. 6. Aldr. orn. 1. 8. c. 3. Will. ornith. 64. t. 12. Raj. av. 25. Frisch. av. t. 99. Alb. av. 2.. p. 10. t. 10.  Habitat in Europa.  Cristæ auritæ albidæ fasciis sex fuscis." (Linnaeus 1758) (Asio).

bakkamoena
Sinhala name Bakamūnā for various large owls (see Otus)  (Otus).

SUBSPECIES

Indian Scops-Owl (deserticolor)
SCI Name: Otus bakkamoena deserticolor
deserticolor
L. desertus  desert, wilderness  < deserere  to abandon; color, coloris  colour.

Indian Scops-Owl (gangeticus)
SCI Name: Otus bakkamoena gangeticus
gangetica / gangeticus
River Ganges, India.

Indian Scops-Owl (marathae)
SCI Name: Otus bakkamoena marathae
marathae
Marathas, a martial people and their former empire of central India.

Indian Scops-Owl (bakkamoena)
SCI Name: Otus bakkamoena bakkamoena
bakkamoena
Sinhala name Bakamūnā for various large owls (see Otus)  (Otus).