Sandy Scops-Owl

SCI Name:  Otus icterorhynchus
Protonym:  Scops icterorhynchus Ibis p.138
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Otus
Taxonomy Code:  sasowl1
Type Locality:  Fanti, Gold Coast.
Author:  Shelley
Publish Year:  1873
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).

icterorhynchus
Gr. ικτερος ikteros jaundice-yellow; ῥυγχος rhunkhos bill.

SUBSPECIES

Sandy Scops-Owl (Sandy)
SCI Name: Otus icterorhynchus icterorhynchus
icterorhynchus
Gr. ικτερος ikteros jaundice-yellow; ῥυγχος rhunkhos bill.

Sandy Scops-Owl (Reddish)
SCI Name: Otus icterorhynchus holerythrus
holerythrus
Gr. ὁλος holos complete, entire; ερυθρος eruthros red.