Japanese Scops-Owl

SCI Name:  Otus semitorques
Protonym:  Otus semitorques FaunaJap.Aves[Siebold] p.24 pl.8
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Otus
Taxonomy Code:  jasowl1
Type Locality:  Japan.
Author:  Temminck & Schlegel
Publish Year:  1844
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).

semitorques / semitorquis
L. semi-  small, half-  < semis, semissis  half  < as, assis  whole; torques or torquis  collar  < torquere  to twist.

SUBSPECIES

Japanese Scops-Owl (ussuriensis)
SCI Name: Otus semitorques ussuriensis
ussuriana / ussurianus / ussuriensis
Ussuriland or Ussuria, eastern Siberia.

Japanese Scops-Owl (semitorques)
SCI Name: Otus semitorques semitorques
semitorques / semitorquis
L. semi-  small, half-  < semis, semissis  half  < as, assis  whole; torques or torquis  collar  < torquere  to twist.

Japanese Scops-Owl (pryeri)
SCI Name: Otus semitorques pryeri
pryeri
● William Burgess Pryer (1843-1899) British colonial administrator, founder of Sandakan 1879, Resident in North Borneo 1882 (syn. Dicaeum cruentatum nigrimentum).
● Henry James Stovin Pryer (1850-1888) British entomologist, businessman, collector in Japan (subsp. Hypsipetes amaurotis, Locustella, subsp. Otus bakkamoena).