Madagascar red owl  (Tyto soumagnei)

The family Tytonidae includes the barn, grass and bay owls, numbering 16 species in all; they are classified as a separate group from the rest of the Strigidae or the more ‘typical' owls. The family is widely distributed around the world and the best-known member is the barn owl Tyto alba, which occurs in various forms, usually in the tropics but, exceptionally, in the temperate latitudes of Europe (4).

Members of this family are easily distinguished by the heart-shaped facial disc and the Madagascar red owl is no exception. The common name of this species is rather appropriate as its plumage consists of a russet back, sparsely spotted with black. The underside is pale orange, again with small widely spaced black spots (2). The facial disc is white, contrasting with the overall reddish colour of the body and this helps to distinguish Tyto soumagnei from the local race of the barn owl, T. alba hypermetra, which is a slightly bigger bird(4).

The call of the Madagascar red owl differs from that of the barn owl, consisting of a hiss descending in pitch (2), whereas the barn owl usually produces a purring shriek and a range of other squeals (5).