Not all new bird species come from South America or Oceana

Photo by Arnoud B van den Berg

OMANI OWL
Strix omanensis

The Omani Owl, a new species of Strix owl, was discovered on March 24, 2013, in the rugged Al Hajar Mountains of Oman.   The new owl was first heard by Magnus Robb and was then photographed by Arnoud van den Berg.   The owl is medium-sized, has rather drab colouring, but has striking orange eyes, one of only two Strix owls with orange eyes.   The establishment of this new owl's status is wending its way through precise genetic identification and recognition, but is already widely accepted as a new species.
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