| Phodilus | |
|---|---|
 Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family | Tytonidae |
| Genus | Phodilus |
Phodilus or bay owls, is a genus of barn-owls.
Bay owls appear similar to other barn owls; they are generally smaller, have ear-like feather tufts, and have a more divided and U-shaped facial disk.
Phodilus prigoginei is not well known and was initially considered a subspecies of Phodilus badius; today, however, it is not clear whether the African species would not be better placed in Tyto or a monotypic genus. It is similar to the other Phodilus species in being smaller than typical barn-owls, and having the more U-shaped facial disk; however, the ear-like feather tufts are hardly visible.
An apparently extinct population from Samar Island might constitute a fourth species, but the only known specimen has been lost.
Species[]
Sri Lanka Bay Owl (Hume, 1877) (Phodilus assimilis) Oriental Bay Owl (Horsfield, 1821) (Phodilus badius) Congo Bay Owl (Schouteden, 1952) (Phodilus prigoginei)