Bull 219 Al-Sheikhly et al. Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2020) 16 (2): 219- 230. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2020.16.2.0219 SHORT COMMUNICATION PHARAOH EAGLE-OWL BUBO ASCALAPHUS (SAVIGNY, 1809) (STRIGIFORMES, STRIGIDAE), THE “SHROUDED IN MYSTERY” OWL OF IRAQ AND IRAN Omar F. Al-Sheikhly*♦ Heimo Mikkola** and Seyd B. Mousavi*** * Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq ** University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland *** Independent Researcher, Islamic Republic of Iran ♦Corresponding author: alsheikhlyomar@gmail.com Received Date: 19 Oct. 2020, Accepted Date: 14 December 2020, Published Date: 21 December 2020 ABSTRACT The easternmost extent of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl Bubo ascalaphus (Savigny, 1809) distribution has remained enigmatic due to identification problems and lack of owl research. In Iraq, B. ascalaphus has been reported from only few localities in western Iraqi deserts; while its occurrence in Iran has not been reported before this study. In 2017–2020, several new records of B. ascalaphus in western through southeastern Iraq were made and a new distribution range in western Iran was confirmed. Furthermore, field identification, interspecific relationships and conservation status of B. ascalaphus in Iraq and Iran were comprehensively discussed. Keywords: Conservation, Eagle-owl, Field identification, Iraq, Iran. INTRODUCTION The Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus (Savigny, 1809) is a nocturnal predator confined to desert habitats, arid plains, wadis and rocky cliffs in North Africa and the Middle East from Morocco south to the Gambia, Mali, Sudan and South Sudan, Eritrea, and in the Middle East from Syria to the south of Oman (Mikkola, 2013; del Hoyo et al., 2014). Resident populations occur in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman; vagrant in Bahrain and probably breeds in Yemen with some post-breeding dispersal and wandering in winter (Porter and Aspinall, 2010; Jennings, 2010; Blair et al. 2018; BirdLife International, 2020). The status of B. ascalaphus in Iraq and Iran is enigmatic possibly due to identification problems with the polytypic Eurasian Eagle-owl B. bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) (see field identification). In Iraq, the occurrence of B. ascalaphus is not fully explored and probably confused with the sympatric B. bubo which is fairly common and breeds wherever it occurs, but mainly in northern Iraq (Sassi, 1912; Meinertzhagen, 1914; Ticehurst et al., 1922; 1926; 220 Pharaoh eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus Moore and Boswell, 1956; Al-Dabbagh, 1998). Specimens obtained from Baghdad and Babylon provinces were all ascribed to the smaller race/subspecies B. b. nikolskii (Zarudny, 1905) by Allouse (1953). George and Mahdi (1969) listed B. b. nikolskii and B. b. interpositus (Rothschild and Hartert, 1910) from Iraq; however, Allouse (1961) mentioned that the exact Bubo races/subspecies occurring in Iraq were difficult to determine. A voucher specimen of a male B. bubo collected from Al-Hadithah on the Euphrates River in western Iraq in November 1937 and deposited in the Chicago Natural History Museum was typically indicative to B. ascalaphus on the basis of its morphometrics: wing measures and colour pattern (Vaurie, 1960). Further investigation located that skin at the now field museum in Chicago; its total length was 48 cm; wing 364 mm and tail 195 mm which were perfect fit to B. ascalaphus (Al-Sheikhly, 2012). Later on, the occurrence of B. ascalaphus was confirmed in Wadi Al Ubayiadh, an arid area of rocky hills between Al Rahaliya–Nekheab districts and at Al-Raoudha area in Anbar province in western Iraq, where a breeding population was also established (Al-Sheikhly, 2012). Since then, no further field observations of B. ascalaphus in Iraq were made. Similarly, the status of B. ascalaphus in Iran has been obscure and taxonomically interfered with B. bubo, a fairly common resident in mountainous areas throughout Iran, but few birds (presumably from the northern populations) are also wintering to southeast Caspian lowlands (Scott and Adhami, 2006; Khaleghizadeh et al., 2017). The latter also indicated that the large B. b. interpositus and B. b. omissus (Dementiev, 1933) occur along with the small subspecies e.g. B. [bengalensis?] nikolskii and B. ascalaphus which probably includes B. paradoxus (Domaniewski, 1933) from Pol-e-Khatum and elsewhere on Hari Rud (holotype in Warszawa Museum, locality is on Iran/Afghani border). Khaleghizadeh et al. (2017) however, did not provide further records (number of specimens and localities) of B. ascalaphus. They also indicated that the ranges of the large and small taxa of the polytypic B. bubo overlap and the subspecies occurring in Iran required revisions. Bubo ascalaphus has an extremely large zoogeographical range and its population trend appears to be stable, and therefore, the species is evaluated as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (BirdLife International, 2020). However, the overall status of B. ascalaphus is not fully known and seems to be locally endangered by human persecution (Mikkola, 2013). Species status The original description of B. ascalaphus was done already by Savigny (1809) in Egypt and recent phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences have confirmed that cytochrome b sequences of B. bubo and B. ascalaphus differed by an uncorrected p-distance of 3.5%. A sequence distance of more than 2% is indicative of species level distinction (Wink et al., 2009; BirdLife International, 2020). However, often this distinct owl has been lumped together with B. bubo despite the distinct morphology. This has caused numerous misidentifications in the museum collections and handbook texts. Al-Sheikhly (2012) gave a detailed history of one originally wrongly identified specimen in the Chicago Museum collected from western Iraq in 1937. Some of West African bird books often list B. bubo as species occurring for instance in Senegal and the Gambia although all confirmed birds have been B. ascalaphus, instead (Mikkola, in litt.). 221 Al-Sheikhly et al. Field identification Bubo ascalaphus is the smallest size Eagle-owl species in the region, has shorter ear-tufts and multiple different plumage characters including pale sandy/tawny-rufous coloration, unstreaked rufous-barred belly and distinct black borders on the facial disc (Cramp, 1985; Mikkola, 2013). Although B. ascalaphus wing measurements are from North Africa, the owl measured from western Iraq (e.g. Al-Sheikhly, 2012) with a wing of 364 mm falls well within the female/male measurements in Table (1). This further supports the fact that B. ascalaphus is monotypic as concluded by Crochet et al. (2015). Table (1): Wing measurements (in mm) of four Bubo bubo subspecies, Bubo bengalensis, and Bubo ascalaphus. Compiled from Dement’ev et al. (1951), Vaurie (1965), and Weick (2006). Species ♀ max ♀ min Average no. ♂ max ♂ min Average no. B. b. omissus 460 425 445 15 424 404 415 7 B. b. ruthenus 515 471 485.4 22 468 430 445.6 17 B. b. interpositus 502 468 480 19 463 428 448 25 B. b. nikolskii 465 394 433 10 430 378 415 10 B. bengalensis 403 376 387 12 391 358 370 10 B. ascalaphus 390 340 367 20 368 325 346.5 20 We have listed from field observations and photos collected from Iraq and Iran several obvious morphological differences between B. ascalaphus and B. b. nikolskii. Besides field observations, an examination of B. b. ruthenus (Zhitkov and Buturlin, 1906)/nikolskii voucher specimens [(n=4): three deposited in the Iraqi Natural History Research Centre and Museum (INHRM) cited by Ticehurst et al. (1922) and Allouse (1953), and one collected in Khuzestan, western Iran by Seyd B. Mousavi on 24th of July 2020 were comprehensively studied. In the field B. ascalaphus is so small that it can be separated from B. b. nikolskii even without measurements. In Bubo ascalaphus has pale rufous-sandy appearance, smaller size, and prominent dark line with white rim framing the plain tawny facial disc, and lighter streaks body in comparison to the sympatric B. b. nikolskii. It has short and barred ear-tufts (long and dark outer-web in B. b. nikolskii), much white in the throat (less or absent in B. b. nikolskii), sharp orange-yellow eyes bordered with wide white eye-ring and a dark-grey bill. The eyes are larger in proportion to the head when compared to other B. bubo subspecies [also in Robb (2015)]. Bubo ascalaphus breast-streaking is restricted on the upper parts [pattern of a breast feather resembles that of figure (1) in Vaurie (1960) also in this study (Pl.1)], with less dense fine pencil, clearer, and wider rufous barring beneath flanks, and under-tail coverts. The pale bars on the upper tail coverts are proportionately broader than the black bars (vice versa in B. bubo; see Collar and Boesman, 2019). The flying feathers have sandy/orange-rufous wash contrasting with darker carpals and upperwing primary coverts; under wing coverts are pale and less barred. Bubo ascalaphus has more spotted appearance and much less marbled wing- coverts, secondaries, tertials and tail, although both taxa may show half-marbled tail barrings (Collar and Boesman, 2019). It has thin tarsi and toes feathered pale tawny, paws are pale with blackish-brown claws (Pl. 2, 3A–C). 222 Pharaoh eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus In contrast, B. b. nikolskii has a pale-yellowish colour pattern; the facial disc is brown- greyish and the dark line framing the facial disc is usually absent, but rather faint and less pronounced than in B. ascalaphus and lacking the distinct white rim, even if present. Besides field observations, an examination of B. b. ruthenus/nikolskii museum specimens showed that the facial disc pattern is totally absent. Moreover, B. b. nikolskii has a bigger head and deep red/orange eyes which seem proportionally smaller. It has long dark outer webbed ear-tufts which show it to be clearly larger in appearance. Also it has rufous primaries, uniform upperparts, and upper wing coverts; secondaries, tertials and mantle feathers with pale-fringes and tips which resemble diamond-like spotting or “marbled pattern” (Pl. 3E). Among all races of B. bubo, the subspecies B. b. nikolskii has the greatest extent of dense black streaking and brown sparse vermiculation in the underparts (shaft-like spotting in B. ascalaphus in upper breast) reaching the lower belly, flanks, and under-tail coverts, and has a yellowish-tinged heavy tarsus. Plate (1): Pattern of breast feathers; (A) Adapted from Vaurie (1960), (B) Pharaoh Eagle- owl Bubo ascalaphus, Zurbatiyah foothills, eastern Iraq (10th of June 2020), (C) Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo. b. nikolskii, Khuzestan, western Iran (24th of July 2020). [Photos © Omar Al-Sheikhly and Seyd B. Mousavi]. Recent records Iraq: Until recently, published records of B. ascalaphus in Iraq were restricted to those made by Al-Sheikhly (2012) in the western desert. But subsequently further records have been made based on direct visual field observations supported with excellent photographic documentation. On 8th of March 2012, two breeding adults were observed and photographed using digital SLR Canon EOS 40D camera bodies fixed with 400mm telephoto lense at Wadi Al-Ga’ara, north of Rutba (33°25'58.35"N 40°20'2.11"E), Anbar province, extreme western Iraq (ca. 60–140Km) from the border with Syria and Jordan, respectively (Pl. 2A). In 2017, two new sightings of B. ascalaphus were obtained. On 2nd of April 2017, an adult owl was observed in the ruins of the old city of Ur (30°57'38.57"N 46° 6'21.12"E), Thi Qar province, southern Iraq. On 5th of May 2017, an adult was observed in the rocky cliffs of Jabal Sanam (30°7'26.75"N 47°37'50.46"E), Basra province, extreme southern Iraq (ca. 2.5 Km) from the border with Kuwait (Al-Dirawi A. pers. comm. to Omar Al-Sheikhly 2017). On 20th of April 223 Al-Sheikhly et al. 2018, a full-sized adult owl was observed in the Zagros foothills of Al-Shirhani in Al-Teeb area (32°2'3.31"N 47°39'50.45"E), Myssan province, southeastern Iraq (ca. 0.5Km) from the border with Iran. On 10th of June 2020, an adult owl was captured alive at Zurbatiyah foothills (33°14'47.69"N 46° 9'14.55"E), Wasit province, eastern Iraq (ca. 2 Km) from the border with Iran, but no measurements were taken (Pl. 2 B). Furthermore, on many occasions, live- captured B. ascalaphus were observed in the local animal markets of Baghdad (Pl.4). Efforts to investigate the origins of the trapped owls were constantly invalid/ unverified; unfortunately, so all remained with unknown localities. Plate (2): Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus; (A) Wadi Al-Ga’ara, north of Rutba, western Iraq, (B) Bird in captivity trapped at Zurbatiyah foothills, eastern Iraq. [Photos © Omar Al-Sheikhly]. Iran: The first indication of the occurrence of B. ascalaphus in western Iran was made on 22nd of June 2014, when a full-sized juvenile Eagle-owl was observed and photographed at Bait Rashid area (see below). The juvenile Eagle-owl had distinctively pale rufous plumage, large head with proportionally large and sharp yellow-orange eyes and short ear-tufts, much white on throat and forehead, the prominent black-frame of the facial discs was absent (present in those of a similar age in Al-Sheikhly, 2012), unstreaked rufous-barred breast and underparts and short tail (Pl. 3D). Despite several opinions of esteemed ornithologists claimed it to be B. ascalaphus; however, we realized that the identification seemed inconclusive and further observations were required as that owl was in juvenile plumage, an age class that might morphologically overlap in little known taxa (e.g. B. ascalaphus/B. b. nikolskii). Additional field surveys in the rocky foothills of the Zagros Mountain forest steppe and South Iran Nubo- Sindian desert and semi-desert ecoregions in Khuzestan province in western Iran were conducted to further investigate the coexistence of both Eagle-owl species. As a consequence, based on the field identification remarks mentioned above supported by clear photographic documentation, the occurrence of B. ascalaphus was confirmed at two localities in western Iran. Site (I): Bait Rashid area (32°0'20.65"N 47°56'56.82''E), Khuzestan, western Iran. On 224 Pharaoh eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus 12th –13th of July 2020, two adult individuals were observed and photographed using digital SLR Nikon D500 camera bodies fixed with f/5.6 500mm telephoto lense (Pl. 3A, B). Site (II): Suq Al-Kharban area (31°59'57.27"N 47°57'12.89''E), Khuzestan, western Iran. On 19th–20th of July 2020, two individuals were also observed and one had been photographed at (ca. 1Km) to the south from the 1st locality (Pl. 3C). Later on, an adult Eagle-owl was observed and photographed at site (II) on 25th of August 2020. It was identified as B. b. nikolskii (see Field Identification), evidence confirms the coexistence of both species in western Iran (Pl. 3E). The breeding of B. ascalaphus in western Iran has possibly been established in the Bait Rashid area. Several suitable nesting sites in rocky cracks/cliff caverns with owlets’ downy feathers, pellets and remains of owl diet, with frequent visits by the adults were detected; however, further monitoring is required to confirm the breeding status of this species in Iran. Plate (3): (A–B) Adult Pharaoh Eagle-owls Bubo ascalaphus in Bait Rashid, Khuzestan, Iran; (C) Adult owls in Suq Al-Kharban, Khuzestan, Iran; (D) Juvenile in Bait Rashid; (E) Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo. b. nikolskii in Suq Al-Kharban, Khuzestan, Iran. [Photos © Seyd B. Mousavi]. 225 Al-Sheikhly et al. Interspecific Relationships According to Weick (2006), B. ascalaphus could be sympatric with B. b. interpositus and B. b. omissus at least in Iran. However, the geographical range of B. b. interpositus is confined to the northwestern and northern Iran from Alborz, region Tehran, and probably the south Caspian region while B. b. omissus is confined to northeastern Iran and Turkmenistan to western China (Khaleghizadeh et al., 2017). Specimens collected from Luristan not far from the type locality of B. b. nikolskii in western Iran showed that B. b. omissus was a synonym of B. b. nikolskii, as these specimens were identical in size and coloration, including the streaking (Vaurie, 1960). However, B. b. omissus was later recognized as a subspecies restricted to the north of Kopet Dagh, in south Turkmenistan (Khaleghizadeh et al., 2017). In recent study of Obuch (2014), the collected diet remains from seven owl subspecies (mainly from B. bubo) from 38 sites throughout Iran including two localities (B10, 11) in Khuzestan in western Iran where B. b. nikolskii was resident; however, the exact subspecies involved were not mentioned. The exact boundaries of the different races of B. bubo are obscured by the fact that there is considerable intergradation. However, we have seen during this study that B. ascalaphus occurs in eastern, southeastern Iraq towards western Iran sympatrically with B. b. nikolskii, but we do not know whether the two taxa will hybridize or not, so this requires further specimen examinations and genetic investigations. Bubo bubo nikolskii; however, could be separated better than any other race of Bubo (with the exceptions of B. ascalaphus and B. bengalensis which are smaller still, but are not closely related to B. b. nikolskii) by its small size (see Table 1), pale-yellowish colour, less heavily streaked, and vermiculated with brown below (Vaurie, 1960). Bubo bubo nikolskii, a distinctively small Eagle-owl (wing ♂=378; ♀=394 mm, both of these values being the minimum for any subspecies of B. bubo, and almost falling in the category of B. ascalaphus measurements, see Table 1) was firstly described by Zarudny from the Jebel (Djebel) Tnue in Khuzestan, in western Iran. This subspecies is resident in small numbers in the Zagros and Karun districts (see Ticehurst et al., 1922), as well as in Khorsan south of Sistan, west of Kerman, and in the Zagros west at least as far as Luristan “Lorestan” to western Pakistan (Zarudny and Loudon, 1905; Vaurie, 1965; Khaleghizadeh et al., 2017). Bubo bubo nikolskii was reported from central Iraq by Allouse (1953); however, Vaurie (1960) believed that Allouse was incorrect in calling the Eagle-owls of Mesopotamia (Iraq nowadays) as B. b. nikolskii. Ticehurst et al. (1922; 1926) assigned Eagle-owls of Iraq to the subspecies B. b. ruthenus after he had compared specimens from Iraq with others from Trebzon in Turkey. However, B. b. interpositus and B. b. ruthenus were not synonymous and confused by E. Hartert with each other and the error of Ticehurst and Hartert was corrected by Hartert and Steinbacher (1935). Ticehurst et al. (1922) also mentioned that B. b. nikolskii remained mysterious and the three specimens collected from Iraq cannot be of that subspecies based on wing measurements, while the subspecies could occur in the adjacent areas of southeastern Iraq (see Zarudny and Loudon, 1905), from where specimens thence materialized later. Therefore, it is important to know the morphological differences visible in the field and useful for assessing good quality photographic documentation to help differentiate these owls. Furthermore, it seems that B. b. nikolskii is sharing the same ecological niche with B. ascalaphus which is evident by the coexistence of both species in the lower Zagros foothills and arid steppes of southeastern Iraq and western Iran where a hybridization zone may exist. To establish this, additional research is needed. 226 Pharaoh eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus Conservation status Besides threats, the survival status of B. ascalaphus in both Iraq and Iran is not fully known and warrants further monitoring. Mikkola (2013) indicated that the species has been often persecuted by humans. In Arabian culture, the owl is a symbol of bad omen and abhorrent to be trapped or kept as domesticated pets. Despite the traditional beliefs, in Iraq, the species is targeted by wildlife trade, especially during the breeding season (February–June). Breeding adults are trapped by nets and owlets/juveniles are taken from their nesting holes. Besides other birds of prey, Bubo owls of different age classes are persecuted by local poachers and trappers (see Al-Sheikhly and Al-Azawi, 2019) in western through southeastern Iraq, and presented in the local animal markets to be raised as cage birds (Pl. 4). It is worth mentioning that hunting of B. bubo is banned by the Iraqi Wild Animals Protection Law (no. 17 issued in 2010); however, owls are deliberately trapped/captured whenever and wherever possible. The enforcement of the hunting legislations, the establishment of the National Protected Areas (PAs) Network, and advocating toward the conservation of endangered species by local communities (e.g. Al-Sheikhly et al., 2020) remain major challenges facing the future of the species conservation, at least in Iraq. Plate (4): Different age classes of Pharaoh Eagle-owls Bubo ascalaphus trapped from unknown localities in Iraq by local hunters to be raised as pets. [Photo © Omar Al-Sheikhly]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful to Prof. Razzaq S. Augul (Director of the Iraqi Natural History Research Centre and Museum (INHRM-University of Baghdad) for our allowing an access to the museum bird collections. We would also thank Dr. Mukhtar K. Haba (College of Science for Women-University of Baghdad) and Dr. Afkar M. Hadi (Curator of the vertebrates section in INHRM-University of Baghdad) for their thoughtful comments and assistant during the examination of the museum Eagle-owls specimens. To Zahra’a Mousavi (Khuzestan-Iran) for 227 Al-Sheikhly et al. her generous donation of the photography optics and equipment that were used in the in situ work of this study. We also thank Philippe de Grissac, Guilhem Lesaffre, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments on the earlier draft of this account. LITERATURE CITED Al-Dabbagh, K.Y. 1998. The birds of semi-desert areas of central Iraq. Sandgrouse, 20:135– 141. Allouse, B. 1953. The avifauna of Iraq. Iraq Natural History Museum Publication, 3: 1-163. Allouse, B. 1961. Birds of Iraq vol II. 2nd ed. Al-Rabita Press, Baghdad, Iraq, 276 pp. [In Arabic]. Al-Sheikhly, O. F. and Al-Azawi, A. J. 2019. The Diurnal birds of Prey (Raptors) in the Mesopotamian Marshes of Southern Iraq with notes on their conservation status. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum, 15(4): 381–402. Al-Sheikhly, O. F., Haba, M. K., Al-Barazangy A. N. and Fazaa, N. A. 2020. 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Bubo ascalaphus (Savigny, 1809) بومة النسر الفرعونية (Strigiformes, Strigidae ) العراق وأيران في" يكتنفها الغموض"البومة التي سيد باقر موسوي*** و عمر فاضل الشيخلي*، هيمو ميكوال** كلية العلوم جامعة بغداد، بغداد، العراق-*قسم علوم الحياة **جامعة شرق فلندا، كوبيو، فلندا قل، الجمهورية األسالمية األيرانية***باحث مست 21/12/2020، تأريخ النشر: 14/12/2020، تأريخ القبول: 19/10/2020تأريخ االستالم: الخالصة Bubo ascalaphusالزال أقصى شرق األنتشار لبومة النسر الفرعونية (Savigny, 1809) مجهوالً بسبب المشاكل التصنيفية وقلة البحوث المتعلقة .بدراسة األبوام اء في العراق تم تسجيل بومة النسر الفرعونية في مواقع قليلة في الصحر ي الغربية العراقية بينما لم يذكر تسجيلها في أيران قبل هذه الدراسة. ف لنسر الفرعونية ، تم الحصول على تسجيالت جديدة لبومة ا2010–2017عام في في غرب بأتجاه جنوب شرق العراق وتم تأكيد تواجد نطاق أنتشار جديد لها الحقلي، العالقات بين شخيصغرب أيران. أضافة لما سبق، تمت مناقشة الت راناألنواع المتقاربة، وحالة الصون لبومة النسر الفرعونية في العراق وأي .بأسهاب تأريخ الاستلام: 19/10/2020، تأريخ القبول: 14/12/2020، تأريخ النشر: 21/12/2020