The
Ryukyu scops owl (Ryūkyū scops owl) or
elegant scops owl (
Otus elegans) is a small rufous-brown owl with a brown face disk and a cinnamon facial ruff. The bill is olive-grey and it has yellow eyes.
Otus elegans botelensis is a territorial bird. As their beaks are unable to make holes in the trees, their nests are mainly made in naturally decayed tree holes or holes that have been made by other animals. Occasionally traces of their nests can be found in man-made constructions such as drainage holes or toilets´ water tanks. Their staple diet includes katydids, moths, millipedes, and other invertebrates. Occasionally they feed on geckos, lizards or even Japanese white-eye and other small vertebrates.
Distribution: The distribution of the
Otus elegans botelensis is restricted by the distribution of naturally occurring tree holes. The size of the holes is usually a diameter at breast height (dbh) of more than 38 cm. Different types of trees provide differing quantities of such holes for the
O. e. botelensis. Observation had revealed that tree holes are more likely to form in
Pometia pinnata compared to other types of tree, therefore, areas with lots of
P. pinnata have greater densities of the
O. e. botelensis.
It is found on the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, on Lanyu Island off south-east Taiwan, and on the Batanes and Babuyan Islands off northern Luzon, Philippines, in tropical or subtropical evergreen forest. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
Subspecies: Four subspecies are recognised:
- O. e. interpositus Kuroda, Nm, 1923 – Daitō Islands (southern Japan)
- O. e. elegans (Cassin, J, 1852) – Ryukyu Islands (southern Japan)
- O. e. botelensis Kuroda, Nm, 1928 – Lan yü Island (off southeastern Taiwan) – Lanyu Scops Owl
- O. e. calayensis McGregor, RC, 1904 – Philippines islands in the Batan and Babuyan island groups, including Itbayat, Batan, Sabtang, Calayan, Camiguin Norte