The Ryūkyū scops-owl or elegant scops-owl (''Otus elegans'') is a small rufous-brown owl with a brown face disk and a cinnamon facial ruff. The beak, bill is olive-grey and it has yellow eyes.

Distribution and habitat

It is found on the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, on Orchid Island, Lanyu Island off south-east Taiwan, and on the Batanes and Babuyan Islands off northern Luzon, Philippines, in tropical or subtropical evergreen forest. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.

Subspecies

* ''O. e. elegans'' (Cassin, 1852) * ''O. e. calayensis'' McGregor, 1904 * ''O. e. interpositus'' Kuroda, 1923 * ''O. e. botelensis'' Kuroda, 1928 - Lanyu Scops Owl

Notes

References

BirdLife Species Factsheet - Elegant Scops-owl

Otus (bird) Birds of the Ryukyu Islands Birds described in 1852 Endemic birds of Japan {{Strigiformes-stub