Wallace's Scops-Owl

About the Wallace's Scops-Owl

Wallace's scops owl or lesser Sunda scops owl (Otus silvicola) is endemic to the Sumbawa and Flores islands, in the Lesser Sundas chain of Indonesia. It is not rare in most of its habitat and has no subspecies except for the nominate. It is also known as the Lesser Sunda scops owl. It is named after Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, and biologist.

This strictly nocturnal owl has a mostly brown plumage, long ear tufts, bright yellow eyes, and strong underparts streaking. The adult can average 23 to 27 cm (9 to 101/2 inches) in length and weigh about 210g (71/2 ounces). It can be recognized through its vocalization, which resembles the swishing sound of a sword.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), this species has been listed as "Least Concern" since its latest assessment in 2016. That assessment has shown that the species' population trend is stable.

Little is known about this bird and more research is needed to better understand its behaviour, reproduction, and diet patterns. The adult Wallace's scops owl has a body length of 23 to 27 cm (9 to 101/2 in), a wingspan between 202... Wikipedia →