Comoro Scops-Owl
Otus pauliani
Small compact owl with very small ear tufts that are often invisible. Rufous-brown on the underparts and dark brown on the back. Found in montane forest and along forest edge on the island of Grand Comoro. Fairly shy and wary. The vocalization is a quiet, repeated “pru” that is given at a rate of about two notes per second, sometimes for many minutes at a stretch. Easily identified, as the only other owl on Grand Comoro is the much larger Barn Owl.
Identification
The Karthala scops owl lacks ear-tufts and comes in two colour forms, a light morph and a dark morph. The light morph is dark greyish-brown on the upperparts with fine barring and pale spots along the scapulars. The underparts are reddish-buff with a dense pattern of fine barring on the flight feathers and tail. The dark morph is overall dark chocolate brown but no specimen of a dark morph individual has been taken. It measures approximately 20 cm (7.9 in) in length and the wingspan is 45 cm (18 in).<p>Its call is a whistled "toot", which is given repeatedly with one second intervals.
Taxonomy
The Karthala scops owl was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Madagascar scops owl (Otus rutilus), but with the other Comoro Islands scops owls, it is now regarded as a separate species.
- Scientific name
- Otus pauliani
- Authority
- Benson, 1960
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Otus
Range and habitat
Endemic to the island of Grande Comore, the Karthala scops owl is found only on Mount Karthala, an active volcano. Here it inhabits the montane forest, some secondary growth and the tree-heath above the forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Nocturnal and very territorial, the Karthala scops owl will approach an imitation of its call, otherwise almost unknown. It has relatively weak talons so probably feeds on insects and other invertebrates. It is thought to nest in tree cavities.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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