Madagascar Red Owl

The Madagascar Red Owl is a species that is nocturnal, and is mainly found on the Eastern side of the Island of Madagascar.

 It is very difficult to study because there are not many of these species, and due to forestation they are living higher up in trees. I found it very interesting that the first nest was only found in 1995, in which it was located in a hole in a native tree.

The Madagascar Red owl is in the same family as the barn owl, but has a few different characteristics.

Characteristics

The Madagascar Red owl only reaches to be about 30 cm tall. It has an orange coat, that is covered in black spots. It has a heart shaped face that is light in color, and usually matches the same light color that is on its stomach, and underneath its wings. They have grey talons, and a light colored beak. The young owls are usually brighter, but the male and female have very similar characteristics.

 

They are said to have a loud hissing screech that changes in tone at the end of its call, along with a "WOK-WOK-WOK" call.

 

When these species are found, it is that they are found in pairs because they live a monogamous lifestyle. The male brings the female food, and also leads the female to good nesting sites.

 

The Madagascar Red Owl are carnivores, and they eat species such as insects, reptiles, mammals, and rats.

 

What's being done, and why should we care?

Many of the sites where Madagascar Red Owls are found are in protected forest areas. They are important because they control the population of their prey within the forest. Because it is a species that has very little known information, there is said to be no negative affects of this species.

 

Conservation efforts are in effect, although there are very few. The efforts that are active are mainly focused on expanding the knowledge of the species. The following link is an example of conservation efforts being conducted:

 

http://www.peregrinefund.org/projects/madagascar-red-owl

 

 

They want a better understanding of their breeding, ecology, and the actual number of species that exist. We should make this happen because without this information, we will not truly know anything about this species.

 

 It is also important to understand what is happening within the forest, so we have FULL KNOWLEDGE of the impact of both illegal logging and commercial logging, deforestation, and the affects of poor farming. These are all reasons why the Madagascar Red Owl are on the extinction list, including uncontrollable fires.

 

If Madagascar implemented better farming practices, it could decrease the amounts of forest fires; helping the birds be able to stay in their natural habitats, and decreasing the amount of deforestation. We could also decrease the amount of "slash&burn" which is used to clear forests to create room for agriculture.

 

 

 

It never hurts to learn more about a species, and understanding the Madagascar Red Owl more, will help us understand the forest and what lives within it!