EN

Itombwe Owl

Phodilus prigoginei

Unknown

Overview

The Itombwe owl is a species of owl in the barn owl family, Tytonidae. It is restricted to a small area in the Albertine Rift montane forests of east-central Africa.

The Itombwe Owl faces severe threats from ongoing deforestation and habitat degradation in the Albertine Rift region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mining activities, agricultural expansion, and human settlement pressure continue to fragment and destroy the montane forest habitats this endemic species depends upon.

Threat summary

Habitat

The type specimen was collected at Muusi, at an altitude of 2,430m, in the Itombwe Mountains in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 1951. It was then unconfirmed until a second individual was captured in a mist net in 1996 in the south east corner of the Itombwe Mountains, some 95 km south of, and 600m, lower than the collection site of the type specimen. Both of the specimens...

Other threatened species in Tytonidae

VU

Western Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Itombwe Owl classified as Endangered?
Itombwe Owl is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. The Itombwe Owl faces severe threats from ongoing deforestation and habitat degradation in the Albertine Rift region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mining activities, agricultural expansion, and human settlement pressure continue to fragment and destroy the montane forest habitats this endemic species depends upon.
Where does Itombwe Owl live?
Itombwe Owl occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Itombwe Owl?
The main threats to Itombwe Owl are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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