Growling owl species confirmed in the Philippines (VIDEO)

In a win for biodiversity, researchers have found two new owl species – that growl while singing.

After years of research in remote parts of the Philippine jungle, two subspecies of the Ninox hawk-owls were confirmed.

The scientists said they were aware of the existence of the owls but needed more evidence to confirm the find.

“More than 15 years ago, we realized that new subspecies of Ninox hawk-owls existed in the Philippines,” said study author Pam Rasmussen, a Michigan State University professor of zoology, according to Red Orbit.

“But it wasn’t until last year that we obtained enough recordings that we could confirm that they were not just subspecies, but two new species of owls.”

The Camiguin Hawk-owl was one of the subspecies found on a small island called Camiguin Sur off Mindanao.

Science Codex said that the new subspecies is unique for its song containing a growling bass line. 

They even communicate through barking that starts with a growl.

The dual discovery was published in Forktail, the yearly Journal of Asian Ornithology.