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Photo: Ranieljosecastaneda / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Philippine Scops Owl

Otus megalotis

Philippine Scops Owl (Otus megalotis) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.

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The Philippine Scops Owl (Otus megalotis) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 178 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

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

Where it lives

Luzon, Catanduanes and Marinduque (northern Philippines)

Quick facts

Weight
178 g
Family
Strigidae
Order
Strigiformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

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

The Philippine Scops Owl (Otus megalotis) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Luzon, Catanduanes and Marinduque (n Philippines).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 178 g, with a wing length of about 17.9 cm and a tail of around 8.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 106,000 km².

Songs & calls

Philippine Scops Owl — Song / call

Recorded by Raphaël Jordan Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Philippine Scops Owl?

The Philippine Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 178 g.

Where does the Philippine Scops Owl live?

The Philippine Scops Owl is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Luzon, Catanduanes and Marinduque (n Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Philippine Scops Owl belong to?

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

What does the Philippine Scops Owl eat?

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

Does the Philippine Scops Owl migrate?

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

Is the Philippine Scops Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Philippine Scops Owl make?

1 real field recording of the Philippine Scops Owl can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Philippine Scops Owl's range?

The Philippine Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 106,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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

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

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