Otus to Megascops

["Tim Avery" <tanager at timaverybirding dot com>]

In reply to the email Kris sent:

 The 2nd edition of the AOU Check-list (1895) recognized Megascops for 
the Screech Owl and Flammulated Screech Owl, the only 2 species of Otus 
covered by the CL at the time. These species were placed in Otus in the 
3rd edition (1910). All subsequent treatments by the AOU and other 
authorities have continued to recognize Otus for New World + Old World 
species, with Megascops as a synonym. 

 On the basis of vocal differences, Marshall and King (1988) divided 
Otus into two main subgenera: Otus for Old World (Old World) scops owls 
with slow notes; and Megascops for New World (New World) screech owls 
with fast trills. They also recognized several other subgenera, 
including: Ptilopsis for O. leucotis (Old World); Pyrroglaux for O. 
podarginus (Old World); Macabra for O. albogularis (New World); and 
Gymnasio for O. nudipes and O. lawrencii (New World), the latter also 
placed in the genus Gymnoglaux. Species in Pyrroglaux, Macabra, and 
Gymnasio all lack erectile ear tufts, unlike other members of the group. 
Of these New World subgenera, only Megascops and Gymnasio occur in the 
Check-list Area. 

 In addition to temporal aspects of the song, New World and Old World 
Otus also differ in having one vs. two fundamental song types (König 
et al. 1999). With the exception of O. flammeolus, New World species 
have two song types, including a primary song ("A-song") used for 
territoriality, and a secondary song ("B-song") used in courtship and 
male-female duetting; the "A-song" typically consists of a long trill or 
sequence of single notes in fairly rapid succession, while the "B-song" 
is relatively short and often given in a characteristic rhythm. Old 
World species have only one song type, which is never a long trill like 
that of New World species; this song is used in both aggressive 
situations and in courtship during duets with females. The Flammulated 
Owl (O. flammeolus) also utters a single song type (not a trill) and 
thus is more similar bioaccoustically to Old World Otus than to 
Megascops.

This is from Proposal (#58) to South American Check-list Committee by 
Carla Cicero, in August 2003.  This proposal is a slightly modified 
version of the one Carla Cicero submitted to AOU CLC (which voted to 
accept the proposal). Comments on some New World taxa, especially O. 
flammeolus, have been left in because they are of interest in evaluating 
the split of Otus. It can be seen at this link, wiht comments by 
ornithologists and the like:

(http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCProp58.html)

- Tim

http://www.timaverybirding.com
Salt Lake City, UT or Wherever the Birds Take Me!
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