564:
694:
299:. Adults measure from 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in). Their body mass can range from 125 to 310 g (4.4 to 10.9 oz), with females often considerably larger than males. A distinguishing feature of this owl is its large ears that stand upright on its head. They also have big eyes that are dark in the center with a red/orange edge. In general, these owls are covered in dark brown feathers with dark streaks. Their ear-tufts also have a similar pattern. Their forehead is whitish and they have a dark line around their
92:
682:
50:
31:
601:
claws, curved bill and excellent hearing and sighting skill make them powerful predators. They have been observed to kill their victim by crushing its head, then breaking every other bone of the body to finally swallow the animal whole. This method has cost the lives of many juveniles who suffocate
553:
Philippine scops owls are a nocturnal species and vocalize more actively at night. Their song corresponds to "oik oik oik ook" with long and powerful notes that are clearly distinguished from one another. The last "ook" is lower than the previous three notes. Their call sounds completely different
627:
pairs. Not a lot of information is known about their reproduction but they are thought to breed throughout the year where females will lay 1 or 2 eggs annually. Sexual maturity is reached around the age of 2 but their lifespan is unknown. One juvenile with two adults have been witnessed multiple
840:
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. (2020-03-04), Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.),
596:
These carnivorous owls prey upon animals such as insects and small mammals. During nighttime, they perch in trees where the land is relatively open, which offers them a better view of the surrounding preys. They are ferocious feeders and specialize in tearing flesh. Their
270:
for "large ears". Philippine scops owls are relatively small, sedentary birds that are naturally found in the forest understory. There are three subspecies which show variations in morphology and are distributed among different islands of the
323:
is the largest of all three varieties and also has a grey-brown color but it shows a scapular line and feathers on its upper feet. Other morphological differences between the subspecies can be seen in the length of the tail, the wings, the
342:
There are no significant differences in morphology between male and female
Philippine scops owls, although female scops owls tend to be larger in general. The owlets, however, present some contrast as they have fluffy
1061:
Paguntalan, L. M. J., Gonzales, J. C. T., Gadiana, M. J. C., Dans, A. T. L., Pedregosa, M. D., Cariño, A., & Dolino, C. N. (2002). Birds of Ban-Ban, central Negros, Philippines: threats and conservation status.
873:
372:
family is the largest of the two families of owls and shows a great diversity, with species ranging from 40g to 40 kg. Key features that distinguish owls of this family from their closest relatives
525:
Although they are classified as a species of Least
Concern, habitat destruction from deforestation and fragmentation is a major threat to their population as they depend on forests for their survival.
1481:
647:
as it has a large range and is still locally common in some areas. However, despite not being a threatened species, the population is believed to be on the decline. This species' main threat is
554:
with a series of three to six escalating notes that are loud and abrupt. From what is known, there is no difference between the call and the songs of females, males and juveniles.
651:
with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of logging, agricultural conversion and mining activities occurring within the range. It is also caught for the pet trade
279:
species that offer parental care and construct their nest in tree cavities. These owls are ferocious nocturnal carnivores that feed on insects and small mammals. The
393:
genus (scops owls) is one of the largest owl genera, counting approximately 50 species, yet these species are one of the smallest in size. They are all found in the
1342:
693:
640:
1381:
1461:
500:, Luzon. Researchers caught a Philippine scops owl in a net set up at 2m above ground during their study, which confirms that they are mostly an understory
1471:
1316:
1355:
670:. While all of these areas are protected by law, deforestation, mining, hunting and habitat loss still continue in some of these protected areas.
473:
subspecies are distributed among different islands of the
Philippine Archipelago which suggests they could have evolved through speciation from
940:
203:
964:
965:"Phylogeny and Taxonomic Review of Philippine Lowland Scops Owls (Strigiformes): Parallel Diversification of Highland and Lowland Clades"
667:
409:
272:
347:
feathers. Once they reach the sub-adult age, they are black and greyish-white until they finally reach adulthood and turn brownish.
1476:
510:
is endemic to the
Philippine Archipelago but the three subspecies are distributed in different locations across the archipelago.
663:
1360:
492:
forests and forest edges are typical habitats in which
Philippine scops owls can be found. They are mostly observed in the
659:
1254:
312:
295:
The
Philippine scops owl is a fairly small-to-mid-sized species of owl, but is arguably the largest true species of
518:
species exists in the eastern and southern islands including Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Mindanao and
Basilan. Finally,
1386:
522:
is endemic to Negros Island. These subspecies are not known to migrate and therefore have a limited distribution.
542:
681:
262:
Distinguishing features of these birds include their large upright ears from which they get their specific name
1122:
Harpactes ardens: BirdLife
International: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22682839A92963343
91:
1241:
1168:
1145:
Otus megalotis: BirdLife
International: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22727655A94955374
319:
also lacks a scapular line and feathers on its upper feet but it has a more greyish-brown color. Finally,
240:
465:
1259:
644:
474:
436:
species in the Philippines, 5 of which are endemic to islands in the archipelago. These species include
186:
30:
545:
and allows these birds to have a smaller distribution where all the necessary resources are available.
401:, which is found in North America. A distinguishing feature between this genus and other genera of the
1152:
1129:
742:
1466:
1303:
1233:
1215:
655:
608:
420:. It was formed around 30-35 million years ago and lead to the evolution of different subspecies of
239:. Other common names include "Otus Whitehead", "Whitehead scops owl" and "Luzon lowland scops owl".
1206:
628:
times, which supports the notion that they are monogamous birds that display care by both parents.
624:
534:
501:
459:
379:
family) are their large eyes and the fact that their facial disk is circular and not heart-shaped.
276:
39:
842:
631:
They construct their nests in tree cavities but also among the roots of dead trees on the ground.
432:
in that area lead to isolation of individuals which eventually caused speciation. There are seven
992:
446:
86:
1079:
Barrion-Dupo, A. L. A. (2009). Arachnophagy by the Philippine scops-owl, Otus megalotis Walden.
1347:
1407:
1373:
1277:
984:
936:
496:
and rarely go above 1000m altitudes, with the exception of individuals which were reported on
453:
442:
228:
1412:
1148:
1125:
976:
850:
737:
489:
248:
1246:
514:
species is found mostly in the northern islands such as Luzon, Marinduque and Catanduanes.
1394:
438:
398:
799:
719:
1220:
417:
307:
of Philippine scops owl which show three variations in morphology. The smallest morph,
1455:
1368:
728:
602:
because the prey is too large to swallow. Philippine scops owls were also noticed to
325:
284:
280:
267:
59:
54:
996:
1282:
648:
603:
577:
563:
1269:
1011:
329:
1438:
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1200:
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300:
256:
232:
1191:
1038:
1433:
538:
497:
493:
485:
429:
413:
304:
988:
598:
394:
389:
296:
236:
163:
103:
854:
764:
541:. The fact that different subspecies are found on different islands limits
1097:
1399:
1185:
384:
375:
364:
153:
123:
963:
Miranda, Hector C.; Brooks, Daniel M.; Kennedy, Robert S. (2011-09-01).
1321:
1228:
1334:
1124:(Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2016-10-01.
980:
344:
113:
1295:
1162:
1420:
1290:
425:
76:
70:
907:
315:
line, and no feathers on its upper feet. The medium-sized morph,
1308:
133:
1166:
906:
International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01).
287:
but they may be vulnerable to deforestation and fragmentation.
356:
224:
143:
1147:(Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature.
412:. This group of approximately 7,000 islands is prone to
908:"IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Otus megalotis"
1482:
Taxa named by Arthur Hay, 9th Marquess of Tweeddale
1175:
1153:10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t22727655a94955374.en
1130:10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t22682839a92963343.en
743:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22727655A94955374.en
623:is often spotted alone but has also been seen in
428:during the last glaciation period as well as the
557:
641:International Union for Conservation of Nature
469:are not endemic to the Philippines. The three
235:, belonging to the family of the typical owls
387:subfamily according to skull morphology. The
8:
259:but are now classified as separate species.
408:The Philippine scops owl is endemic to the
1163:
48:
29:
20:
800:"Philippine Scops Owls | Beauty of Birds"
741:
355:The Philippine scops owl belongs to the
843:"Philippine Scops-Owl (Otus megalotis)"
710:
677:
397:with the exception of one species, the
1033:
1031:
7:
958:
956:
954:
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901:
899:
897:
895:
893:
835:
833:
831:
829:
827:
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823:
821:
819:
794:
792:
790:
788:
786:
784:
654:Occurs in a many protected areas in
1462:IUCN Red List least concern species
912:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
729:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
424:. The expansion and contraction of
931:Dunning, John B. Jr., ed. (2008).
668:Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park
14:
969:The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
933:CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses
874:"Meanings of scientific names of"
416:and is a great location to study
1472:Endemic birds of the Philippines
699:Philippine scops owl, Prague Zoo
692:
680:
562:
90:
718:BirdLife International (2016).
383:is further classified into the
1039:"Scops Owls | Beauty of Birds"
849:, Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
664:Angat Watershed Forest Reserve
311:has a reddish-brown color, no
1:
332:. These traits are longer in
660:Bulusan Volcano Natural Park
643:has assessed this bird as a
1098:"Philippine Trogon - eBird"
935:(2nd ed.). CRC Press.
405:subfamily is vocalization.
368:family (typical owls). The
1498:
1012:"Strigidae (typical owls)"
533:Philippine scops owls are
283:considers this species as
543:intraspecific competition
457:. The other two species,
321:Otus megalotis megalotis,
255:were formerly considered
192:
185:
87:Scientific classification
85:
68:
46:
37:
28:
23:
736:: e.T22727655A94955374.
481:Habitat and distribution
317:Otus megalotis everetti,
309:Otus megalotis nigrorum,
1477:Birds described in 1875
1081:Philippine Entomologist
855:10.2173/bow.phsowl1.01
604:feed on spider species
520:O. m. nigrorum species
410:Philippine Archipelago
273:Philippine Archipelago
1043:www.beautyofbirds.com
1010:Cholewiak, Danielle.
804:www.beautyofbirds.com
645:Least-concern species
537:birds with a limited
24:Philippine scops owl
1016:Animal Diversity Web
765:"Appendices | CITES"
687:Philippine scops owl
656:Bataan National Park
609:Heteropoda venatoria
475:geographic isolation
215:Philippine scops owl
1143:IUCN (2016-10-01).
878:uam-web2.uamont.edu
635:Conservation status
336:and are shorter in
241:Everett's scops owl
40:Conservation status
847:Birds of the World
490:secondary woodland
460:Otus mantananensis
303:. There are three
1449:
1448:
1408:Open Tree of Life
1169:Taxon identifiers
942:978-1-4200-6444-5
588:
587:
249:Negros scops owls
211:
210:
178:O. megalotis
80:
63:
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1234:7D1ACC3EF48A7128
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684:
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454:Otus fuliginosus
449:, Otus megalotis
443:Otus mindorensis
439:Otus longicornis
198:
95:
94:
74:
57:
52:
51:
33:
21:
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1395:Observation.org
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637:
618:
594:
589:
584:
575:
574:
572:Songs and calls
551:
531:
512:O. m. megalotis
483:
399:flammulated owl
353:
338:O. m. nigrorum.
334:O. m. megalotis
293:
207:
200:
194:
181:
89:
81:
64:
53:
49:
42:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1479:
1474:
1469:
1464:
1454:
1453:
1447:
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1443:
1439:Otus-megalotis
1430:
1417:
1404:
1391:
1378:
1365:
1352:
1339:
1326:
1313:
1300:
1287:
1274:
1264:
1251:
1238:
1225:
1221:Otus_megalotis
1212:
1207:Otus megalotis
1197:
1181:
1179:
1177:Otus megalotis
1173:
1172:
1167:
1159:
1158:
1135:
1113:
1089:
1072:
1054:
1027:
1002:
975:(3): 441–453.
948:
941:
923:
889:
865:
815:
780:
756:
722:Otus megalotis
709:
708:
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703:
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698:
691:
689:
686:
679:
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636:
633:
621:Otus megalotis
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580:Otus megalotis
576:
570:
568:
556:
550:
547:
530:
527:
516:O. m. everetti
508:Otus megalotis
482:
479:
471:Otus megalotis
422:Otus megalotis
418:phylogeography
381:Otus megalotis
362:order and the
352:
349:
292:
289:
253:Otus nigrorum)
245:Otus everetti)
223:) is a common
220:Otis megalotis
209:
208:
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196:Otus megalotis
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175:
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97:
96:
83:
82:
69:
66:
65:
47:
44:
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38:
35:
34:
26:
25:
16:Species of owl
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1483:
1480:
1478:
1475:
1473:
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1139:
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1127:
1123:
1117:
1114:
1103:
1099:
1093:
1090:
1087:(2), 174-178.
1086:
1082:
1076:
1073:
1070:(1), 110-136.
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1065:
1058:
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1028:
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591:
583:
582:on xeno-canto
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549:Vocalizations
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285:Least Concern
282:
281:IUCN Red List
278:
275:. They are a
274:
269:
268:Ancient Greek
265:
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187:Binomial name
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67:
61:
56:
55:Least Concern
45:
41:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1176:
1138:
1116:
1105:. Retrieved
1101:
1092:
1084:
1080:
1075:
1067:
1063:
1057:
1046:. Retrieved
1042:
1019:. Retrieved
1015:
1005:
972:
968:
932:
926:
915:. Retrieved
911:
881:. Retrieved
877:
868:
858:, retrieved
846:
807:. Retrieved
803:
772:. Retrieved
768:
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649:habitat loss
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466:Otus elegans
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144:Strigiformes
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1467:Otus (bird)
1330:iNaturalist
1201:Wikispecies
749:12 November
486:Rainforests
359:trigiformes
301:facial disc
291:Description
257:conspecific
233:Philippines
73:Appendix II
1456:Categories
1434:Xeno-canto
1107:2024-09-11
1064:Silliman J
1048:2020-10-13
1021:2020-10-13
917:2020-10-14
883:2020-10-14
860:2020-10-13
809:2020-10-13
774:2022-01-14
705:References
625:monogamous
578:Listen to
539:home range
498:Mount Data
494:understory
447:Otus mirus
430:topography
414:speciation
305:subspecies
277:monogamous
1102:ebird.org
989:1559-4491
769:cites.org
599:raptorial
535:sedentary
529:Behaviour
504:species.
488:, mature
403:Striginae
395:Old World
385:Striginae
376:Tytonidae
370:Strigidae
365:Strigidae
297:scops owl
264:megalotis
237:Strigidae
172:Species:
154:Strigidae
110:Kingdom:
104:Eukaryota
1421:Species+
1374:22727655
1348:10218360
1247:22727655
1242:BirdLife
1192:Q1267885
1186:Wikidata
997:84881078
606:such as
502:arboreal
351:Taxonomy
328:and the
313:scapular
150:Family:
124:Chordata
120:Phylum:
114:Animalia
100:Domain:
60:IUCN 3.1
1413:1086556
1322:5232269
1309:1178247
1296:phsowl1
1270:phsowl1
1229:Avibase
674:Gallery
231:to the
229:endemic
206:, 1875)
160:Genus:
140:Order:
130:Class:
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1361:555385
1335:204558
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426:biomes
345:rufous
330:tarsus
326:culmen
204:Walden
1400:72151
1387:56273
1343:IRMNG
1291:eBird
1283:4B8HW
1267:BOW:
1260:32028
993:S2CID
77:CITES
71:CITES
1426:5730
1382:NCBI
1369:IUCN
1356:ITIS
1317:GBIF
1255:BOLD
985:ISSN
937:ISBN
751:2021
734:2016
666:and
639:The
592:Diet
463:and
451:and
434:Otus
390:Otus
247:and
213:The
165:Otus
134:Aves
1304:EoL
1278:CoL
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1149:doi
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