The Moheli scops owl (''Otus moheliensis'') is a scops
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 ...
endemic to the island of
Mohéli
Mohéli , also known as Mwali, is an autonomous island that forms part of the Comoros, Union of the Comoros. It is the smallest of the three major islands in the country. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa and it is the sma ...
, one of the
Comoro Islands
The Comoro Islands or Comoros ( Shikomori ''Komori''; ar, جزر القمر , ''Juzur al-qamar''; french: Les Comores) form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northw ...
.
Description
The Moheli scops owl has two colour morphs, the rufous morph has reddish-brown plumage which is and weakly marked with dark streaks and bars; the brown morph has a darker brown plumage, which is boldly marked with streaks and vermiculations. Both morphs have yellow-green eyes, grey legs and black beaks.
Their length is approximately .
[
]
Voice
The Moheli scops owl is highly vocal, producing hissing whistles and screeches in a series of five notes, as well as screeching.
Distribution and habitat
This owl is found only on the mountain in the centre of the island of Mohéli, the total range covering , including the highest point of the ridge, at in altitude, and the adjacent upper slopes.[ It occurs in dense humid forest, which is rich in ]epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
s between .[
]
Behaviour
The Moheli scops owl is strictly nocturnal and becomes active only after sunset. Calling males have been recorded in September. The diet is probably mainly made up of insects.[
]
Conservation and status
The species was only described in 1998.[ It has an estimated population of 400, and is classified as critically endangered due to it being restricted to such a small area, which is being rapidly deforested. In 1995, only five percent of the island still had intact, dense, humid forest. As well as habitat loss, other threats to the Moheli scops owl include hunting and ]black rat
The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
s, which may eat its eggs and young but also compete with it for food. At present, the montane forest where the Moheli scops owl occurs is not protected.[
]
References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1178434
Moheli scops owl
Mohéli
Endemic birds of the Comoros
Critically endangered fauna of Africa
Moheli scops owl