The Nicobar scops owl (''Otus alius'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the

Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located southeast of the Indian s ...

, India, in particular Great Nicobar Island, but it may also occur on

Little Nicobar Little Nicobar ( Nicobarese: ''Ong'') is one of the Nicobar Islands, India. History The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to this island. Geography Little Nicobar Island's area is . There are a few smaller islan ...

island. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It has an uncertain status but is thought to be rare or endangered. It was originally discovered by

Pamela C. Rasmussen Pamela Cecile Rasmussen (born October 16, 1959) is an American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and is based at the Michigan State University. She ...

in 1998.Rasmussen, Pamela. (1998). ''Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club'' (BBOC) 118: p 143-151, pl. 3. Very little is known about this species, but individuals have been reported to consume spiders, beetles, and geckos.

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External links

Owlpages entry
Nicobar scops owl Birds of the Nicobar Islands Endemic fauna of the Nicobar Islands Nicobar scope owl {{strigiformes-stub