Reddish scops owl
| Reddish scops owl | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Otus |
| Species: | O. rufescens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Otus rufescens (Horsfield, 1821)
| |
The reddish scops owl (Otus rufescens) is an owl found in southeast Asia, in the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.[1]
Description
The reddish scops owl measures 15-18 cm in length and has a body mass of 70-83 g.[3] Body is generally a red-brown, with paler face and ear tufts.[4] Displays black spotting across chest, and white spotting along back and wings; juveniles appear similar to adult individuals, but with less spotting.[4]
The call of the owl is a whistling “hooo," which is repeated in 7-11 second intervals.[4] The calls of this species are able to be reliably sexed, with males having a higher pitched call than females.[5]
Taxonomy
The reddish scops owl was first described by Thomas Horsfield in 1821 under the binomial Strix rufescens.[6]
The owl has two subspecies:[4]
- O. r. malayensis
- O. r. rufescens
Habitat
The reddish scops owl lives in lowland regions including rainforests and swamps.[4] The owl does not migrate, and primarily inhabits a home range of 1.31–2.16 hectares.[7]
Conservation Status
The reddish scops owl is evaluated by the IUCN as near threatened, and its population is believed to be decreasing.[1] The primary threat to these birds is habitat loss from logging; an estimated 14%-18% of the forests the owl inhabits have been lost in the last decade.[1] This species is also threatened by capture and sale in illegal wildlife trade.[8]
Diet
While not extensively studied, the diet of the reddish scops owl consists of primarily arthropods and small vertebrates.[3][9]
Breeding
The reddish scops owl nests in tree cavities.[4] On Java, eggs of the species have been found in March and April, with a nestling present by mid-July.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d BirdLife International (2024). "Otus rufescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024 e.T22688554A261490598. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22688554A261490598.en.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b c König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. 2nd edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK.
- ^ a b c d e f Holt, Denver W.; Berkley, Regan; Deppe, Caroline; Enríquez, Paula L.; Petersen, Julie L.; Rangel Salazar, José Luis; Segars, Kelley P.; Wood, Kristin L.; Marks, Jeffrey S. (2020). "Reddish Scops-Owl (Otus rufescens), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.resowl1.01. ISSN 2771-3105.
- ^ Mat Nawi, Mohd I. H.; Sulaimi, Ahmad S.; Mah, Amera N. M. M. A.; Zakaira, Mohamed; Puan, Chong L. (2021). "Pair duets and acoustic sexing of Reddish Scops Owl Otus rufescens" (PDF). Journal of Asian Ornithology. 37: 88–92.
- ^ Horsfield, Thomas (1821). "Systematic Arrangement and Description of Birds from the Island of Java". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 13 (1): 140.
- ^ Sulaimi, Ahmad S.; Mat Nawi, Mohd I. H.; Mah, Amera N. M. M. A.; Top, Marina M.; Puan, Chong L. (2025). "Home range of a Reddish Scops-Owl (Otus rufescens) in an isolated forest in southwestern Peninsular Malaysia". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 134 (1).
- ^ Iqbal, Muhammad (2016). "Predators become prey! Can Indonesian raptors survive online bird trading?" (PDF). BirdingASIA. 25: 30–35.
- ^ Mohd-Taib, F. S.; Rabiatul-Adawiyah, S.; Md-Nor, S. (2014). "Birds Communities of Fragmented Forest within Highly Urbanized Landscape in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia". AIP Conference Proceedings. 1614: 651–658.