Researchers spot rare eagle-owl for first time in 150 years

by mcardinal

Lauren Moye, FISM NEWS

 

Two researchers in an African rainforest found the holy grail of birdwatching when they spotted a rare large owl.

Shelley’s eagle-owl is among one of the largest owls in the world and the largest of the species that live in Africa. Adults’ length measures between 21 to 24 inches, with one wing measuring in the 16.9 to 19.4-inch range.

This variety of eagle-owl is rarely seen with very few confirmed sightings in the wild. For this reason, not much is known about the bird. It has an estimated population of a few thousand.

On Oct. 16, two researchers from the Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park) at Imperial College London spotted a large bird in the Atewa Forest of Ghana. Dr. Joseph Tobias stated, “It was so large, at first we thought it was an eagle. Luckily it perched on a low branch and when we lifted our binoculars our jaws dropped. There is no other owl in Africa’s rainforests that big.”

Tobias and Dr. Robert Williams reported only seeing the bird for 10-15 seconds, but they managed to take pictures before the distinctive barred owl flew away.

Shelley’s eagle-owl was last spotted in Ghana in the 1870s. While there have been other reported sightings in other countries, very few of these have been confirmed as the only African owl with black eyes and a yellow bill.

Before Oct. 16 even photographs of the species were hard to locate. The only other recognizable photo was taken in 1975 of a captive eagle-owl at a zoo. A 2005 photo from Congo claims to be of a Shelley’s eagle-owl, but the specimen is not clearly identifiable in the photo.

This find is notable for another reason. Dr. Nathaniel Annorbah of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ghana, said, “This is a sensational discovery. We’ve been searching for this mysterious bird for years in the western lowlands, so to find it here in ridgetop forests of Eastern Region is a huge surprise.”

The find is important not just for the birdwatching community, but also for Atewa Forest. The scientists were in the forest that day on a grant to study the biological impact of agriculture. The rainforest is threatened by farm encroachment, illegal logging, artisanal mining, and commercial bauxite exploitation.

Atewa Forest is described by conservationist groups as being “internationally recognized as one of the highest priority ecosystems in West Africa for its high species diversity, high levels of endemism and great hydrological importance.” 1.5m people rely on Atewa Forest for water, making it crucial to Ghana residents.

The rainforest is also home to over 700 species of butterflies, including two varieties only located in Atewa Forest. Before this sighting of Shelley’s eagle-owl, it was a known home to thirteen bird species that are classified as threatened or near-threatened. The critically endangered Togo Slippery Frog, Conraua derooi, resides in the forest as well.

Williams stated, “We hope this sighting draws attention to Atewa forest and its importance for conserving local biodiversity. Hopefully, the discovery of such a rare and magnificent owl will boost these efforts to save one of the last wild forests in Ghana.”

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