Differences in plumage coloration between northern and southern populations of the Ryukyu Scops Owl in the Ryukyu Archipelago
Joint press release (in Japanese) by Hokkaido University and Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
Abstract
Avian plumage coloration is a crucial research topic in evolutionary ecology and can be associated with genetic clade and the unique evolutionary processes on geographically isolated islands. This study investigated plumage coloration in Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans among islands and genetic clades. We also examined whether differences in plumage were associated with clade, island, and environmental factors (latitude, temperature, precipitation, and vegetation). In this study, plumage coloration was quantified from photographs of owls captured on eight islands, and genetic clades were determined using COI gene analysis. The results showed that….
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Article Information:
Hinako HANZAWA, Takema SAITOH, Akira SAWADA, Masaoki TAKAGI, Differences in plumage coloration between northern and southern populations of the Ryukyu Scops Owl in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Ornithological Science, 2026
DOI:10.2326/osj.OSJ-2025-017
