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Oriental Scops-owl fluttering

on 23rd January 2017

ScopsOwlO-gular flutter [JeremiahLoei]

Jeremiah Loei’s Oriental Scops-owl grey morph (Otus sunia) fluttering adds on to his earlier video of Buffy Fish-owl (Ketupa ketupu) cooling itself HERE.

Another video of the Spotted Wood-owl (Strix seloputo) fluttering by Lena Chow can be seen HERE.

PelicanAust [wyc]

The gular skin is an area of featherless skin around the bird’s throat that forms a pouch. This is most prominent in the Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) where it is used to store fish during hunting (above). In the male frigatebird (Fregata sp.), the brightly coloured gular pouch is inflated in courtship to attract the female (below).

Frigatebird [wyc]

Among owls the gular pouch is less prominent. Fluttering of this pouch helps to increase heat loss when the weather is hot. After all, birds do not have sweat glands.

Jeremiah Loei & YC Wee
Singapore
17th January 2017

Note: Video and image of Oriental Scops-owl by Jeremiah Loei; pelican and frigatebird by YC Wee.

This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behavior through photography and videography to a wider audience.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

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