Luzon Scops-Owl Otus longicornis Scientific name definitions

18–19 cm (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); no information on mass (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Smallish scops-owl with frosted facial trim , white eyebrows , long loral plumes barred white with black tips, long ear-tufts with some rufous colouring, ear-coverts barred white, blackish brown and rufous; pale or white collar, narrower on hindneck than on breast; upperparts bright rufous-buff, streaked and with irregular dark bars on each feather; chin and throat whitish, throat feathers tipped black; breast rufous, mottled with black and white, rest of underparts white with fulvous and rusty-brown mottling; tarsus feathered for roughly half length; irides bright yellow; cere dull yellowish green, flesh at base (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); bill slender, laterally compressed, dull green; lower tarsus and toes whitish flesh. Only other congener on Luzon, O. megalotis, is larger than present species (wing length 185–205 mm vs. 136–153 mm in longicornis (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ) and has orange-brown irides; usually occurs at lower elevations, though some overlap (2 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close , 3 Dinets, V. (2001). Ornithological records from Luzon during January–February 21481481, including a description of the voice of Luzon Rail Lewinia mirificus. Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club 34: 40–41. Close ).

Luzon, in N Philippines.

Humid forest, generally in foothills and mountains, also in pine woodland and perhaps in oak-dominated cloud forest. Specimens collected from 360–1800 m; recently observed in lower montane forest at 700–1500 m, and at 2200–2300 m on Mt Data (3 Dinets, V. (2001). Ornithological records from Luzon during January–February 21481481, including a description of the voice of Luzon Rail Lewinia mirificus. Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club 34: 40–41. Close ).

Presumably resident (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Little information (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Stomach contents of specimens have included primarily insects.

Song of male a melancholy whistle with downward inflection  , given at intervals of c. 3–5 seconds (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Nest with 3 chicks found in May. Nest in tree hole (e.g. woodpecker cavity  (2 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) ). Clutch size reported to be 2–3 eggs; chick with light grey down, this replaced by brown-barred grey.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened, and previously, Vulnerable. CITES II. Restricted-range species: present in Luzon EBA. No information on population size; numbers thought to be declining. Evidently rare, and few reliable sightings. Recent records from Quezon National Park, near Manila; from Mt Cetaceo and Mt Dipalayag in Sierra Madre, in NE Luzon; and on Mt Data (3 Dinets, V. (2001). Ornithological records from Luzon during January–February 21481481, including a description of the voice of Luzon Rail Lewinia mirificus. Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club 34: 40–41. Close ). Rarity attributed to habitat loss, and this seems likely to continue. Research needed on species’ ecology and biology to help determine its conservation requirements.