Otus insularis
The enigmatic Seychelles Scops Owl (Otus insularis) is a tiny, reddish-brown nocturnal raptor, endemic exclusively to Mahé Island in the Seychelles archipelago, where it is often referred to locally as "Screech Owl." Measuring a mere 19-22 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 40 cm and weighing around 80-90 grams, its small stature and distinctive "wa-wa-wa" hoot are its most remarkable features. Its plumage is a rich rufous-brown, finely streaked and barred with darker brown and bla...
This highly specialized owl inhabits dense, primary mountain mist forest and lush, humid woodlands found at higher elevations (200-700 meters) on Mahé Island. It relies on the thick undergrowth and canopy for both roosting and foraging.
The diet consists predominantly of large insects such as grasshoppers, moths, and beetles, supplemented by small geckos, tree frogs, and other small invertebrates found within the forest undergrowth and canopy. It is an opportunistic predator, ambushing prey.
Strictly nocturnal, the Seychelles Scops Owl spends its days roosting quietly within the dense foliage of the forest canopy, often close to tree trunks, relying on its cryptic coloration for camouflage. At dusk, it emerges to hunt, primarily employing a sit-and-wait foraging strategy, scanning fo...
The Seychelles Scops Owl is an extreme endemic, found exclusively on Mahé Island, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean. Its distribution is highly restricted to a fragmented, narrow belt of remnant primary mountain mist forest and dense humid woodlands at ...
Critically Endangered
- The Seychelles Scops Owl was considered extinct for 70 years before its rediscovery in 1959, earning it the nickname "lost bird. - Locally, it's sometimes called the "Bare Owl" or "Screech Owl" by the Seychellois. - Its distinctive "wa-wa-wa" hoot is one of the most iconic and haunting sounds o...