The Nicobar scops owl (''Otus alius'') is a species of

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

in the family

Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owl ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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 India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, in particular

Great Nicobar Island Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands of India, north of Sumatra. History The Nicobar Island has been well known to Indian mariners since the time of the seafaring Cholas https://www.britannica.com/place/Nicobar- ...

, 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 In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. It has an uncertain status but is thought to be rare or

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

. 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.

References

External links

Owlpages entry

Nicobar scops owl The Nicobar scops owl (''Otus alius'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands, India, in particular Great Nicobar Island, but it may also occur on Little Nicobar island. Its natural habitat is tropica ...

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