Otus collari
The enigmatic Sangihe Scops Owl (Otus collari) is a diminutive and critically endangered raptor endemic to the remote Sangihe Island in Indonesia. Measuring approximately 19-20 cm in length, this species is characterized by its rich reddish-brown plumage, finely streaked and barred with darker markings, providing superb camouflage within its dense forest habitat. Distinctive field marks include a pale facial disc subtly outlined in black, bright yellowish eyes, and small, often inconspicuous ...
This owl inhabits primary and mature secondary lowland and foothill forests, typically found on steep slopes and ravines at elevations ranging from approximately 300 to 1,000 meters above sea level.
Its diet consists primarily of large insects, such as beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets, which it captures by sallying from a perch.
The Sangihe Scops Owl is a strictly nocturnal predator, spending its daylight hours roosting motionless in dense foliage, utilizing its cryptic plumage for camouflage against tree bark. Foraging occurs primarily from a stationary perch, where it employs a 'sit-and-wait' strategy, sallying forth t...
The Sangihe Scops Owl (Otus collari) is an extreme island endemic, found exclusively on the small volcanic Sangihe Island, located north of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Its current distribution is severely restricted to the remaining primary and mature secondary lowland and foothill forest fragments, p...
Critically Endangered
- The Sangihe Scops Owl was considered 'lost' to science for over a century, from its description in 1896 until its dramatic rediscovery in 1998. - It is one of the world's most range-restricted birds, found exclusively on the single, small Sangihe Island in Indonesia. - Its extremely limited hab...