Moheli Scops Owl
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The Moheli scops owl (''Otus moheliensis'') is a scops
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
endemic to the island of
Mohéli Mohéli , also known as Mwali, is an autonomously-governed island that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. It is the smallest of the three major islands in the country. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa and it is the ...
, one of the
Comoro Islands The Comoro Islands are a group of volcanic islands in the Mozambique Channel, an arm of the Indian Ocean lying between Madagascar and the African mainland. Three of the islands form the Union of the Comoros, a sovereign nation, while Mayotte bel ...
.


Description

The Moheli scops owl has two colour morphs, the rufous morph has reddish-brown plumage which is and weakly marked with dark streaks and bars; the brown morph has a darker brown plumage, which is boldly marked with streaks and vermiculations. Both morphs have yellow-green eyes, grey legs and black beaks. Their length is approximately .


Voice

The Moheli scops owl is highly vocal, producing hissing whistles and screeches in a series of five notes, as well as screeching.


Distribution and habitat

This owl is found only on the mountain in the centre of the island of Mohéli, the total range covering , including the highest point of the ridge, at in altitude, and the adjacent upper slopes. It occurs in dense humid forest, which is rich in
epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...
s between .


Behaviour

The Moheli scops owl is strictly nocturnal and becomes active only after sunset. Calling males have been recorded in September. The diet is probably mainly made up of insects.


Conservation and status

The species was only described in 1998. It has an estimated population of 400, and is classified as
critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
due to it being restricted to such a small area, which is being rapidly deforested. In 1995, only five percent of the island still had intact, dense, humid forest. As well as habitat loss, other threats to the Moheli scops owl include hunting and
black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
s, which may eat its eggs and young but also compete with it for food. At present, the montane forest where the Moheli scops owl occurs is not protected.


References


External links


BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1178434 Moheli scops owl Mohéli Endemic birds of the Comoros Critically endangered fauna of Africa Moheli scops owl