Reddish Scops-Owl
Otus rufescens
Silhouette: Armelle Ansart (photograph), Maxime Dahirel (digitisation) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusOtus (Scops-Owls)
- SpeciesOtus rufescens (Reddish Scops-Owl)
About the Reddish Scops-Owl
The reddish scops owl (Otus rufescens) is an owl found in southeast Asia, in the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The reddish scops owl measures 15-18 cm in length and has a body mass of 70-83 g. Body is generally a red-brown, with paler face and ear tufts. Displays black spotting across chest, and white spotting along back and wings; juveniles appear similar to adult individuals, but with less spotting.
The call of the owl is a whistling “hooo," which is repeated in 7-11 second intervals. The calls of this species are able to be reliably sexed, with males having a higher pitched call than females. The reddish scops owl was first described by Thomas Horsfield in 1821 under the binomial Strix rufescens.
The owl has two subspecies: O. r. malayensis O. r. rufescens The reddish scops owl lives in lowland regions including rainforests and swamps. The owl does not migrate, and primarily inhabits a home range of 1.31–2.16 hectares.
The reddish scops owl is evaluated by the IUCN as near threatened, and its population is believed to be decreasing. The primary threat to these birds is habitat... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Reddish Scops-Owl in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Reddish Scops-Owl in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Reddish Scops-Owl sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Reddish Scops-Owl in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
December has the highest sighting rate for Reddish Scops-Owl in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.