Anjouan Scops-Owl
Otus capnodes
Small, compact dark owl with tiny ear tufts that are often invisible. The overall coloration can be blackish-brown or rufous-brown. Found in remnant rainforest and secondary forest on the island of Anjouan, in the Comoros. The remarkable vocalization, very different from that of a typical scops-owl, is a series of several mournful, descending whistles, each similar to the flight call of Black-bellied Plover. Sometimes two or more birds duet. Easily identified, as the only other owl on Anjouan is the much larger Barn Owl.
Identification
The Anjouan scops owl occurs in grey and rufous colour phases and has very small ear-tufts compared to other scops owls. The grey form is sooty grey with fine buff bars on the head and neck, a dark brown face with fine streaks and brown underparts with very fine brown streaks and vermiculations. The tail and flight feathers are sooty grey. The rufous form is browner and the marking contrasts more with the plumage. Body length is 15 cm (5.9 in) and the wingspan is 45 cm (18 in).<p>The call of the Anjouan scops owl is a distinctive drawn-out whistle, which is repeated often with short interludes. It has been likened to the "pee-oo" call of the grey plover. The local name is "badanga".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Otus capnodes
- Authority
- (Gurney, JH Sr, 1889)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Otus
Range and habitat
The Anjouan scops owl is found only on the island of Anjouan, where it occurs in the remaining fragments of native upland forest, degraded forest and plantations. It appears to be dependent on large trees situated on steep slopes with cavities for nesting and roosting.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Little is known, but it probably nests and roosts in tree cavities and feeds mainly on insects.
Conservation
This species was rediscovered in June 1992, after an absence of records dating back to 1886. It has an estimated population of less than 400. It is classified as "Critically Endangered" because its range is restricted to such a small area, which is being rapidly deforested. However, later analyses have since downlisted it to Endangered. Bristol Conservation and The Science Foundation have currently conducted surveys on the island to determine how many owls remain.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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