Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) [XC303751]
by Andrew Spencer from El Aceitellar, Pedernales, Dominican Republic (call, song)
Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) [XC303752]
by id from El Aceitellar, Pedernales, Dominican Republic (call)
Subspecies
Until recently considered conspecific with Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Following colonization of Hispaniola in late 1970's by subspecies pratincola of Barn Owl (Tyto alba), later found not to interbreed with nominate glaucops, and separation as two species now widely accepted. Several recent works consider nominate glaucops part of a natural group including insularis and nigrescens (last 2 forms possibly comprising a separate species, Tyto insularis), with extinct form Tyto cavatica from intervening island of Puerto Rico also considered closely related to this group. Others place insularis and nigrescens in Barn Owl (Tyto alba). On present evidence, best option may be to treat the three extant subspecies as one species, with cavatica probably representing an extinct subspecies. Limited available data suggest similarities to small island subspecies of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) that may also warrant treatment as separate species. Colour characters of subspecies nigrescens may not be tenable.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
glaucops (Kaup, 1852) - Hispaniola, including Tortue I.
nigrescens (Lawrence, 1878) - Dominica. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Barn Owl (Tyto alba).
insularis (Pelzeln, 1872) - St Vincent, Bequia, Union, Carriacou and Grenada. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Barn Owl (Tyto alba).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet