Deux nouvelles espèces de chouettes ont été reconnues aux Philippines

In the last issue (28) of the Forktail journal ((Journal of Asian Ornithology), American and Philippine ornithologists show that the Philippine Hawk Owl Ninox philippensis requires treatment as seven allopatric species and at least one additional subspecies based on morphology and especially vocalisations. Vocalisations differ significantly between all seven species, the limits of which are incongruent with all previous taxonomies. Taxa from Mindoro, Mindanao, Camiguin Sur and the Sulu Islands exhibit especially great vocal differences from all other taxa along with smaller but consistent differences in plumage and morphometrics. Although specimens have been in museum collections for many years, two of these species have remained undescribed, and the ornithologists formally name these taxa for science : Camiguin Hawk Owl Ninox leventisi and Cebu Hawk Owl Ninox rumseyi.
The distinction of a new subspecies named Ninox spilonota fisheri that lives in the Tablas islands is also proposed.