About the Principe Scops Owl
The Principe scops owl is a species of scops owl found only on Príncipe Island of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. First noticed by its distinctive nighttime call, it was formally described in 2022. The first records of suspicions of its existence are from 1928. Given its low population numbers and tiny range, researchers have asked the IUCN to declare it Critically Endangered, and this status was granted in 2023. Its distribution is limited to native forests where human activity is low—in fact, its range is entirely within a protected area, the Príncipe Obô Natural Park—and it seems to prefer larger trees. It feeds on insects. Its…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Voice: The bird's call has been described as "tuu," repeated quickly, sometimes in duets. The birds begin to call almost as soon as it gets dark. Another of its calls is "cat-like" and can exist either in isolation or repetition. Duets are common; females call at a higher pitch.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Sula Scops OwlOtus sulaensisThe Sula scops owl, is a small owl in the scops-owl genus Otus found on the Sula Islands of Indonesia.
Sandy Scops OwlOtus icterorhynchusA small owl which has an overall pale rufous colour, a plain face, a pale yellow bill and yellow eyes.
Banggai Scops OwlOtus mendeniThe Banggai scops owl is an owl found on Banggai Island in Indonesia.
Learn the Principe Scops Owl for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.