sokoke Shops owl

Appearance

The Sokoke scops owl can grow to 6+1⁄2 in, and can weigh up to 2 oz, and is the smallest of the scops owls. It is insectivorous and coloring ranges from grey to rufous.

Sokoke scops owl is a fairly plain scops owl with small spotted markings on the underside. They are found in a number of color morphs ranging from grey through brown to an orange-rufous. Their call consists of a repetitive "too-too-too-too-too" reminiscent of the calls of tinkerbirds. Males have a higher-pitched, louder and clearer call compared to females, which have a softer, muffled, low-pitched call. They are territorial and pairs may duet in response to intruding conspecifics. The calling intensity of spontaneously calling owls varies with the time of night and phase of the moon.

Distribution

Sokoke scops owl have a highly restricted range in coastal Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania. It was first discovered in 1965 in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve in coastal Kenya. Two other isolated populations have been subsequently discovered in the Dakatcha woodlands in Kenya and in the Manga and Kwamgumi forest reserves in the lowlands of the East Usambara mountains, Tanzania. Its global range is not thought to exceed 500 km2. Other isolated populations of this species may still persist in unsurveyed patches of suitable habitat.

Behavior

Like other "Otus" owls, they are strictly nocturnal, making their biology difficult to study. They are most active immediately after dark and before dawn and travel further from their roost sites to forage when there is less illumination from the Moon. They roost in the dense understory of "Cynometra" trees during the day. The mean home-range of a pair is 11 ha and there is very little overlap with neighboring pairs.

Habitat

Sokoke scops owl has very specific habitat requirements of undisturbed lowland forest. In the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, it only occurs in forest dominated by "Brachylaena" and "Cynometra", despite the presence of other forest types. It is thought that holes in "Brachylaena" trees provide suitable nesting sites for the owls and their removal may be responsible for population declines.

Food

Pellet samples show that they feed almost exclusively on medium-sized insects across a wide range of orders, with the predominant prey type likely dependent on availability at the time. Beetles and crickets appear to be consumed the most.