Strix (bird)

{{Short description|Genus of birds}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = ''Strix'' owls | fossil_range = Early Miocene to recent | image = Strix nebulosaRB.jpg | image_caption = Great grey owl, ''Strix nebulosa'' | taxon = Strix | authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | type_species = ''Strix stridula''<ref name=HM4>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=72 |title= Strigidae |author= |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-26}}</ref> = ''Strix aluco'' | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. | synonyms = ''Ciccaba'' Wagler, 1832 ''Macabra'' Bonaparte, 1854 ''Myrtha'' Bonaparte, 1854 ''Nyctimene'' Heine & Reichenow, 1890 ''Ptynx'' Blyth, 1840 ''Stryx'' Pallas, 1771 (unjustified emendation) ''Tybo'' Heine, 1890 ''Tyto'' Heine & Reichenow, 1890 | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=IRMNG - Strix Linnaeus, 1758 |url=https://www.irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1042060 |website=www.irmng.org}}</ref> }}

'''''Strix''''' is a genus of owls in the typical owl family (Strigidae), one of the two generally accepted living families of owls, with the other being Tytonidae. Common names are '''earless owls''' or '''wood owls''', though they are not the only owls without ear tufts, and "wood owl" is also used as a more generic name for forest-dwelling owls.

These are medium-sized to large, robustly built, powerful owls. They do not have ear tufts and most are highly nocturnal woodland birds. Most prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Most owls in the genus ''Strix'' can be distinguished from other genera of owls through their hooting vocalization and lack of visible ears.

The Latin genus name ''Strix'' referred to a mythical vampiric owl-monster believed to suck the blood of infants.<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher= Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | page = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n368 368]}}</ref> Although the genus ''Strix'' was established for the earless owls by Linnaeus in 1758, many applied the term to other owls (namely the ''Tyto'') until the late 19th century.<ref name="mil">Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): [http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf ''Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520101755/http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf |date=2011-05-20 }}. Ninox Press, Prague. p.217</ref> This genus is closely related to the extinct ''Ornimegalonyx''.

==Taxonomy== The genus ''Strix'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=92 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | place=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/764490 }}</ref> The type species is the tawny owl.<ref>{{ cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1940 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=4 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=156 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14476627 }}</ref> The genus name is a Latin word meaning "owl".<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=368 }}</ref>

Some Neotropical species were formerly classified in a separate genus, ''Ciccaba'', which was eventually merged based on the placement of its type species, ''Strix huhula''.<ref>{{cite web |title=ITIS - Report: Ciccaba |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=553760#null |website=www.itis.gov}}</ref>

==Species== The genus contains 22 species:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2021 | title=Owls | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/owls/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=24 May 2021 }}</ref> * Spotted wood owl, ''S. seloputo'' * Mottled wood owl, ''S. ocellata'' * Brown wood owl, ''S. leptogrammica'' * Tawny owl, ''S. aluco'' * Maghreb owl, ''S. mauritanica'' * Himalayan owl, ''S. nivicolum'' * Desert owl, ''S. hadorami'' * Omani owl, ''S. butleri'' * Spotted owl, ''S. occidentalis'' * Barred owl, ''S. varia'' * Cinereous owl, ''S. sartorii'' * Fulvous owl, ''S. fulvescens'' * Rusty-barred owl, ''S. hylophila'' * Chaco owl, ''S. chacoensis'' * Rufous-legged owl, ''S. rufipes'' * Ural owl, ''S. uralensis'' * Great grey owl, ''S. nebulosa'' * African wood owl, ''S. woodfordii'' * Mottled owl, ''S. virgata'' * Black-and-white owl, ''S. nigrolineata'' * Black-banded owl, ''S. huhula'' * Rufous-banded owl, ''S. albitarsis''

===Fossil species=== The genus ''Strix'' is well represented in the fossil record.<ref name="mil" /> Being a fairly generic type of strigid owl, they were probably the first truly modern Strigidae to evolve. However, whether several of the species usually placed in this genus indeed belong here is uncertain.

Generally accepted in ''Strix'' are: *''S. dakota'' (Early Miocene of South Dakota, USA) – tentatively placed here *''Strix'' sp. (Late Miocene of Nebraska, USA) *''Strix'' sp. (Late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewski, Poland) apparently similar to the great grey owl<ref name="mil" /> *''Strix intermedia'' (Early - Middle Pleistocene of EC Europe) – may be paleosubspecies of ''S. aluco'' *''Strix brea'' (Late Pleistocene of SW North America) Now placed in its own genus. (See below) * *''Strix'' sp. (Late Pleistocene of Ladds, USA)

''"Strix" wintershofensis'' (Early/Middle Miocene of Wintershof West, Germany) and ''"Strix" edwardsi'' (Middle Miocene of Grive-Saint-Alban, France), while being strigid owls, have not at present been reliably identified to genus; they might also belong into the European ''Ninox''-like group.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

''"Strix" ignota'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) is sometimes erroneously considered a ''nomen nudum'', but this assumption is based on what appears to be a ''lapsus'' or misprint in a 1912 source.<ref>Paris (1912: p.287) referred to Milne-Edwards (1869–1871: p.499) as the taxonomic authority, but the cited page only describes this owl but does not assign a specific name. However, the name ''Strix ignota'' is given on p.580 of Milne-Edwards's work referring unequivocally to the fossils described on page 499.</ref> It may well belong into the present genus, but this requires confirmation.<ref name="mil" />

''"Strix" perpasta'' (Late Miocene – Early Pliocene of Gargano Peninsula, Italy) does not appear to belong into this genus either.<ref>Olson, Storrs L. (1985): Section IX.C. Strigiformes. ''In:'' Farner, D. S.; King, J. R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): ''Avian Biology'' '''8''': 129–132. Academic Press, New York. p.131</ref> It is sometimes considered a junior synonym of a brown fish-owl paleosubspecies.<ref name="mil" />

UMMP V31030, a coracoid from Late Pliocene Rexroad Formation deposits of Kansas (USA), cannot be conclusively assigned to either the present genus or ''Bubo''.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Feduccia, J. Alan|year=1970|title= Some birds of prey from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas|journal=The Auk|volume=87|issue=4|pages= 795–797 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v087n04/p0795-p0797.pdf|doi=10.2307/4083714|last2=Ford|first2=Norman L.|jstor=4083714}}</ref>

'''Extinct forms formerly in ''Strix'':''' * ''"Strix" antiqua'' – now in ''Prosybris'' * ''"Strix" brea'' - now ''Oraristrix brea'' * ''"Strix" brevis'' – now in ''Intutula'' * ''"Strix" collongensis'' – now in ''Alasio'' * ''"Strix" melitensis'' and ''"Strix" sanctialbani'' – now in ''Tyto'' * ''"Strix" murivora'' – male of the Rodrigues scops owl * ''"Strix" newtoni'' and ''"Strix" sauzieri'' – male and female of the Mauritius scops owl

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Milne-Edwards, Alphonse (1869–1871): [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k97145r ''Recherches anatomiques et paléontologiques pour servir à l'histoire des oiseaux fossiles de la France''] (Vol. 2). G. Masson, Paris. * {{cite journal|author=Paris, P. |year=1912|title= Oiseaux fossiles de France|journal=Revue Française d'Ornithologie|volume=37|pages= 283–298}}

Category:Strix (genus) Category:Bird genera Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus