Reddish Scops-Owl
Otus rufescens
- 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 →
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
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 Sepilok?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Reddish Scops-Owl sighting in Sepilok, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Reddish Scops-Owl in Sepilok?
January has the highest sighting rate for Reddish Scops-Owl in Sepilok in our monthly data.