Principe scops owl
Species of owl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Principe scops owl (Otus bikegila) is a species of scops owl found only on Príncipe Island of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. First noticed by its distinctive nighttime call, it was formally described in 2022.[2][3] The first records of suspicions of its existence are from 1928.[4] Given its low population numbers and tiny range, researchers have asked the IUCN to declare it Critically Endangered,[5] and this status was granted in 2023.[1] Its distribution is limited to native forests where human activity is low[5]—in fact, its range is entirely within a protected area, the Príncipe Obô Natural Park[4]—and it seems to prefer larger trees.[5] It feeds on insects.[5] Its predators include the Mona monkey and the black rat.[5]
| Principe scops owl | |
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| A composite of photographs of the Principe scops owl | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Otus |
| Species: | O. bikegila |
| Binomial name | |
| Otus bikegila Melo et al., 2022 | |
Call
Etymology
The owl's Latin name was given in honor of park ranger and former parrot harvester Ceciliano "Bikegila" do Bom Jesus.[6]
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