The São Tomé scops owl (Otus hartlaubi ) is a species of owl in the true owl family, Strigidae. It is endemic to São Tomé Island, part of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Altricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe São Tomé scops owl is a small, secretive owl with small ear-tufts. It has light reddish-brown facial disc with a white chin and white eyebrows. The crown and upper-parts are chestnut with rufous wavy markings and black shaft streaks. There scapulars have white spots and black tips. The flight feathers are buff with white mottling and narrow there are buff bars on the tail. The underparts are rufous with fine vermiculations of brown and white and bold black streaking. Juveniles are paler. It is a small owl, about 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long, weighing about 79 grams (0.174 lb).
This owl species is endemic to São Tomé Island, which is part of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.
This owl's natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest where it is relatively widespread and the population is probably several hundred birds.
This species of owl is the only one on the island, except for the common barn owl. Its diet consists of insects, grasshoppers, beetles, moths, and small lizards. This owl is nocturnal (like most owls) and is not shy toward humans. It roosts close to tree trunks or within them. Females of the species are somewhat larger than males. The adult face and upper body are mostly brown, with white chin and eyebrows. It sometimes calls during the day.
The continued survival of the São Tomé scops owl depends upon stopping habitat loss in the remaining lowland rainforest of São Tomé, as does the survival of three other birds: the São Tomé ibis, São Tomé olive pigeon, and São Tomé oriole.
