Mascarene owls
Encyclopedia
The Mascarene owls form a distinct genus
(Mascarenotus) of owl
s. The three species, the Réunion Owl
, Mauritius Owl
, and Rodrigues Owl
, are all extinct.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
(Mascarenotus) of owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s. The three species, the Réunion Owl
Réunion Owl
The Réunion Owl was a small owl that occurred on the Mascarene island of Réunion, but became extinct before living birds could be described; it is only known from subfossil bones. It belongs to the Mascarene owls of the genus Mascarenotus, and most likely was similar to a Long-eared Owl in size...
, Mauritius Owl
Mauritius Owl
The extinct Mauritius Owl , also called Commerson's, Sauzier's or Newton's Owl, was endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius...
, and Rodrigues Owl
Rodrigues Owl
The Rodrigues Owl , also known as Leguat's Owl or Rodrigues Little Owl, was a small owl. It lived on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues, but it is nowadays extinct. It is part of the genus of Mascarene owls, Mascarenotus...
, are all extinct.