Luzon Scops Owl

The Luzon scops owl is relatively small even among species of scops owls endemic to the Philippines. It has a body length of 18 to 19 cm with a wing length of 13.6 to 15.3 cm. Their large eyes have bright yellow irises, and their beaks are small and slender. Their tarsi are feathered, but only until about halfway through its length and they are equipped with long, sharp claws, typical of birds of prey. Characteristic of scops owls, this species has long ear tufts and an overall dark brown and rufous plumage. Horizontal dark bars irregularly streak across most of its feathers. Voice: Recorded male vocalizations appear to be more frequent at night and consist of a single note that lowers in pitch, each whistle being separated by 3 to 5 seconds of silence. Their vocalization is said to resemble that of the Eurasian scops owl (Otus scops), however the single whistle type of vocalization is characteristic of many other scops owl species.