Alternative name: Cinnamon Scops Owl
- Otus icterorhynchus
Identification
18-20 cm.
- Cinnamon-brown head and upperparts with bars and spots of buff and white and with conspicuous white scapular stripe
- Cinnamon facial disk with pale eyebrows
- White barred primaries, dark brown barred secondaries
- Cinnamon tail with incomplete rufous bars
- Cinnamon-rufous underparts with few dark shaft streaks on breast, more heavily spotted abdomen
- Pale yellow eyes
- Creamy-yellow bill
- holerythrus is more rufous with less breast streaking
A lot of individual variation in tone of rufous and markings.
Juveniles similar to adults but less heavily marked and with finer bars above and less streaked below.
Distribution
Western and Central Africa, from Liberia east to Cameroon, northern Congo, northern and eastern DRC and probably to Gabon.
Apparently rare in its fragmented range, however status poorly documented.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- O. i. icterorhynchus in the rainforests of Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana
- O. i. holerythrus from southern Cameroon to northern Congo, northern and eastern DRC and probably Gabon
Forms probably a superspecies with Sokoke Scops Owl. Has also been considered conspecific with Andaman Scops Owl but differs significantly in plumage and voice.
Habitat
Found in lowland and evergreen forest, including logged areas.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1000m.
Behaviour
A nocturnal species.
Diet
Feeds on crickets and grasshoppers.
Breeding
No detailed information. Laying possibly February to March.
Movements
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334252
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sandy Scops Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sandy_Scops_Owl
