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Near Threatened

Banggai Scops Owl

Otus mendeni

Banggai Scops Owl (Otus mendeni) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.

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The Banggai Scops Owl (Otus mendeni) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 88 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Strigiformes
  3. Family Strigidae Owls
  4. Genus Otus
  5. Species mendeni

Where it lives

Banggai Is. (east of Sulawesi)

Quick facts

Weight
88 g
Family
Strigidae
Order
Strigiformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Banggai Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Banggai Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Banggai Scops Owl (Otus mendeni) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Banggai Is. (e of Sulawesi).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 88 g, with a wing length of about 15.2 cm and a tail of around 7.8 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2,349 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Songs & calls

Banggai Scops Owl — Flight call

Recorded by Frank Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Banggai Scops Owl?

The Banggai Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 88 g.

Where does the Banggai Scops Owl live?

The Banggai Scops Owl is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Banggai Is. (e of Sulawesi), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Banggai Scops Owl belong to?

The Banggai Scops Owl (Otus mendeni) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.

What does the Banggai Scops Owl eat?

The Banggai Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Banggai Scops Owl migrate?

The Banggai Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Banggai Scops Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Banggai Scops Owl make?

1 real field recording of the Banggai Scops Owl — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Banggai Scops Owl's range?

The Banggai Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 2,349 km².

Conservation

Near Threatened

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

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Guides for this bird

Meet the Strigidae

A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

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