Otus capnodes
The Anjouan Scops Owl (Otus capnodes) is a critically endangered, small, and highly elusive nocturnal raptor endemic to the island of Anjouan in the Comoros archipelago. Averaging about 20-22 cm in length, it exhibits a cryptically mottled rufous-brown plumage, heavily streaked and vermiculated with darker markings, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark. Its prominent ear-tufts, which can be raised or lowered, and piercing yellow eyes are distinctive field marks within its genus. T...
This owl primarily inhabits fragmented humid montane and submontane forests, as well as degraded woodland patches, at elevations ranging from approximately 200 to 1200 meters above sea level on Anjouan.
It is primarily insectivorous, preying on large nocturnal insects such as moths, beetles, and crickets, but may also consume small vertebrates.
Strictly nocturnal, the Anjouan Scops Owl spends its days roosting well-camouflaged amidst dense foliage or tree cavities, often freezing when disturbed to enhance its cryptic appearance. It forages by pouncing on unsuspecting prey from a perch, using its keen night vision and hearing. While spec...
The Anjouan Scops Owl is strictly endemic to the island of Anjouan, one of the four main islands of the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Its range is highly restricted and fragmented, primarily confined to remnants of humid montane and submontane forest on the slopes of Mt. Ntringui, but ...
Critically Endangered
- The Anjouan Scops Owl was once thought to be extinct, having last been seen in 1886 before its miraculous rediscovery in 1992, over a century later. - It is one of the most geographically restricted owl species in the world, found only on the single island of Anjouan in the Comoros. - Its disti...