Justification This owl has a very small, declining population because of widespread loss of riverine forest, increasing development along rivers and dam construction. It therefore qualifies as Endangered.

Family/Sub-family Strigidae

Species name author (Seebohm, 1884)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 60-72 cm. Massive owl with long, broad, horizontal ear-tufts. Pale grey-brown facial disc. Buff-brown, broadly streaked upperparts. Buff and dark brown barred wings. Pale tail with dark bars. White throat. Pale buffish-brown underparts with long streaks. Orange-yellow iris. Grey-horn bill with yellowish tip. Voice Call a short, deep boo-bo-voo or shoo-boo. Begging call a long, slurred peer-peer-peer.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

250-999

decreasing

2,870,000 km²

No

Range & population Ketupa blakistoni is found in the coastal mountain ranges of eastern Siberia, north to Magadan, including Sakhalin Island, the southern Kuril Islands, and the Amur Basin, Russia, the mountains of Heilongjiang, Jilin and eastern Inner Mongolia, China, and central and eastern Hokkaido, Japan. It probably occurs in North Korea. Its population may be just a few hundred birds and it is declining in Russia, China, and Hokkaido. Population strongholds exist in Hokkaido, where c. 35 pairs remain, although this represents a considerable decline and most remaining birds nest in artificial nest sites and rely to a degree on supplementary feeding¹; and the Samarga Valley, eastern Siberia where up to 39 pairs were estimated in 2005².

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It inhabits dense forest, with large, old trees for nest-sites, near lakes, rivers, springs and shoals that do not freeze in winter. Fish forms the main part of the diet but small mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and crustaceans are also taken. In winter, it feeds more extensively on small mammals and birds.

Threats Logging of riverine forest, conversion of forest to farmland, development along riverbanks and the construction of dams are the major threats. Over-harvesting of fish, especially salmonids, has reduced food availability in Russia and Japan. Disturbance is a problem across its range and river pollution and hunting are potential threats. On Hokkaido, birds are killed through collision with powerlines and traffic and drowning in nets on fish-farms.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II. It is legally protected in all range states. It has been recorded from several protected areas including Magadanski, Botchinski, Verkhnekhorskiy and Kuril'ski (Russia), Changbai Shan (China), and Shiretoko and Hattaushi (Japan). On Hokkaido, there is a programme of supplementary feeding and nest-box provision.

Conservation measures proposed Conduct surveys of river basins along the Okhotsk Sea coast, the lower Amur valley (Russia) and in China and North Korea. Designate a national park encompassing three existing protected areas on the Bikin river, Primorye, designate a protected area along the Anyuy river, create a system of specially protected areas in the Khor river basin (Russia). Design and implement a recovery plan for the river systems and forests in Hokkaido (Japan). Provide nest-boxes especially where nest trees have been removed. Draft regulations to restrict human access to key sites during the breeding season and to ban fishing on stretches of river used by the species. Develop methods to reduce mortality due to collision with power-lines and traffic and drowning in nets. Instigate public awareness and education campaigns in all range states.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. Hayashi (2006). 2. Surmach (2006).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), Nic Peet (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Ketupa blakistoni. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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