The Mantanani scops owl (Otus mantananensis ), is a small owl in the scops-owl genus Otus found on small islands between Borneo and the Philippines. It is listed by the IUCN as "near threatened" because its range is limited with its population being fragmented on several different islands, and its forest habitat is being degraded by ongoing logging and clearance.
The Mantanani scops owl is endemic to small islands between the Malaysian state of Sabah in northern Borneo, such as the Mantanani group after which the species gets its common name, and the Philippines island of Palawan, including Calamien, Rasa and Ursula, as well as islands in the Sulu Archipelago and the central Philippines. It is fairly common in coconut groves and other wooded habitats, such as stands of Casuarina equisetifolia, though the total range size is small and estimated to be less than 2,000 km2 (772 sq mi).
The Mantanani scops owl is considered to be near threatened because it is confined to increasingly disturbed and degraded habitats within a small range. The BirdLife population estimate for the species over its entire range is 10,000 to 20,000 individuals and decreasing. Estimates for the population on Mantanani Island are for at least 100 birds.
