Mindanao Scops Owl
Otus mirus
The Mindanao Scops Owl (Otus mirus) is a legendary owl found only in the Philippines, weighing about 61 g. The Mindanao scops owl or Mindanao highland scops owl is an owl endemic to Mindanao island in the Philippines.





About the Mindanao Scops Owl
The Mindanao scops owl or Mindanao highland scops owl is an owl endemic to Mindanao island in the Philippines. It is found in tropical montane forest above 1,000 meters above sea level. It is threatened by habitat destruction and deforestation.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Otus mirus is a small owl, with a mean length of 19 cm and body mass of approximately 65 g. It is characterized by heavily barred wings and back, a mottled white and brown front, and small white ear tufts. It shares parts of its range with Everett's scops owl, but is much smaller than this congener.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, August, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mindanao Scops Owl?
- Otus mirus is a small owl, with a mean length of 19 cm and body mass of approximately 65 g. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mindanao Scops Owl?
- The Mindanao Scops Owl is a medium sized bird weighing about 61 g.
- Where can you see a Mindanao Scops Owl?
- The Mindanao Scops Owl is endemic to the Philippines, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Mindanao Scops Owl?
- The Mindanao Scops Owl is most easily confused with the Wallace's Scops Owl, the Negros Scops Owl and the Luzon Scops Owl.
- Is the Mindanao Scops Owl endangered?
- The Mindanao Scops Owl is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Mindanao Scops Owl for real
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