Otus is a genus of owls in the Strigidae family, restricted to the Old World.

These birds are quite small in both males and females;

`The discovery of a new bird species is always a cause for celebration and an opportunity to reach out to the public on the topic of biodiversity,` says lead author Dr. Martim Melo from CIBIO and Universidade do Porto and other

`In this age of human-driven extinction, a major global effort is always needed to document what may soon be no more.`

`Birds are perhaps the best-studied group of animals. The discovery of a new bird species in the 21st century therefore seems to be emphasizing both the reality of field explorations aimed at describing diverse

Príncipe’s Owl (Otus bikegila), a newly named species of owl found on Príncipe Island — a 53-square-mile island off the west coast of Africa.

The newly described species, named Principe’s owl (Otus bikegila), occurs at low elevations in the old-growth native forest of Príncipe Island, located in the Gulf of Guinea, approximately 220 km off the coast of Gabon.

The bird is currently restricted to the uninhabited southern part of the island and within the Príncipe Oô Natural Park.

`The discovery of a new species assessed as highly threatened clearly demonstrates the current predicament of biodiversity,` the researchers said.

`On a positive note, the Principe owl’s range is fully included in the Príncipe Obô Natural Park, which will hopefully help protect this animal from extinction.`

`While it may seem strange that a bird species has remained undiscovered by science for so long on such a small island, this is not an isolated case when it comes to owls.`

The research team’s phylogenetic analysis showed that the Principe owl originated from the first colonization of the islands of the Gulf of Guinea, and is sister to the owl group that includes the African mainland owl (Otus senegalensis),

This new species now lives in an area of about 15 square kilometers.

All of Príncipe Island, which is part of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, was extensively surveyed to determine the distribution and population size of the new species.

`We propose that this species be classified as Critically Endangered due to its small occurrence, coupled with its occurrence in one location and the inferred continued decline in occurrence, habitat

`Effective conservation of the Principe owl requires regular monitoring and further studies focused on the species’ breeding and nesting abilities.`

`Broad support for the conservation of the Natural Park is vital to ensure the protection of this species and the endemism-rich native forests of Príncipe on which it depends.`

The team has proposed that the International Union for Conservation of Nature add the bird to its red list and classify it as ‘Critically Endangered’, the highest level of threat, due to the bird’s concentration

Source: Animalia;