As Arabian Scops owl Otus pamelae has
recently been elevated to full species status (see below), and neither Phil
Roberts or I had seen the species in the country we decided to try to locate
birds in the Tanoumah area, an area where birds had been seen in 2001. This
area is in southwest Saudi Arabia north of Abha at 1950 metres elevation. We
spent the first night looking for suitable areas in the Al Mehfar Park area
trying to hear birds calling but had no success. The second evening we again
tried without luck and heard no birds calling. After a few hours as we were
contemplating giving up I tried a very quick burst of Arabian Scops owl call
and got and immediate response. We followed the Calling bird and could hear it
was clling from a thick Juniper tree. Despite being right uder the tree and the
bird still calling we could not se anything. After about ten minutes we saw the
birds move slightly within the same tree but the views were brief and poor. The
bird was still calling and was then joined by a second bird when one and then
the other moved to a more open tree where I managed to locate it sitting right
out in the open on a branch. Phil had kindly loaned me his back up flash and we
managed to get a few photos before leaving the birds alone still calling. This
was the last but one of the twelve Arabian Endemics (not including Arabian Magpie that some regard as a species but is generally regarded as a sub-species, and which we have also seen) for Phl and I to see in Saudi Arabia and we were
very happy with our nighttime efforts. Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak is the only one missing. Whilst looking for the owls we also
managed to see at least two Montane Nightjars, one sitting along the top branch
of a Juniper tree.
In 2008 work by Keonig (Keonig, C., Weick, F.
& Becking, J.-H. 2008. Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World, 2nd edn. London:
Christopher Helm) concluded that Arabian Scops Owl Otus (senegalensis) pamelae
was a distinct species from African Scops Owl O. s. senegalensis. Recent
work by Pons et al (Jean-Marc Pons, Guy M. Kirwan, Richard F. Porter &
Jerome Fuchs (2013). A reappraisal of the systematic affinities of Socotran,
Arabian and East African scops owls (Otus, Strigidae) using a combination of
molecular, biometric and acoustic data. Ibis (2013)), has also shown Otus
senegalensis pamelae, represents a very distinct lineage and is well
differentiated phylogenetically, morphologically and vocally from O. s.
senegalensis. As a result it has been recommended that elevating it to species
status, as Arabian Scops Owl Otus pamelae is warranted. The main reasons
for this are this southern Arabian taxon is highly divergent from African senegalensis
(uncorrected-p mitochondrial genetic distance = 4%). The song of pamelae
is very different from that of Eurasian Scops Owl O. scops and Pallid
Scops Owl O. brucei but more similar to that of African Scops Owl O.
senegalensis. It nevertheless differs from the latter’s song in being
higher pitched, sounding ‘scratchier’ and having more prolonged notes; the song
sounds two-parted, due to the much quieter first note. In terms of biometrics, results clearly
suggest that pamelae is longer winged and longer legged than mainland
African populations of senegalensis. In comparison with populations of O.
senegalensis in continental Africa, Arabian pamelae is distinguished
in being paler overall, with less distinct streaking over the underparts and a
less obvious whitish line on the scapulars (Keonig et al. 2008). Arabian Scops
Owls possess several diagnostic genetic and phenotypic characters and it is
therefore consider the most appropriate taxonomic treatment is to recognize
Arabian Scops Owl as a species Otus pamelae, and not as a subspecies of O.
senegalensis as it was originally described based solely on morphological
data. This change means that Arabian Scops Owl becomes a new Arabian endemic,
found in South-west Saudi Arabia, South-west Yemen and north-east to southern
Oman and African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis is now no longer found in
Arabia but instead occurs in parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea & Somalia.
