description Wallace Scops Owl Overview
Wallace's scops owl, Otus silvicola, is a small owl endemic to the Indonesian islands of Sumbawa and Flores in the Lesser Sunda chain. It is associated with forest habitats and is active mainly at night, as expected of a scops owl, a group of small owls in the family Strigidae. The species was named for Alfred Russel Wallace, the British naturalist whose work in the Malay Archipelago helped shape biogeography.
help Wallace Scops Owl FAQ
Where does Wallace's scops owl live?
Wallace's scops owl, Otus silvicola, is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Sumbawa and Flores in the Lesser Sunda Islands. It uses forest, secondary growth, plantations, and other wooded habitats.
Is Wallace's scops owl active during the day or at night?
It is mainly nocturnal, like other scops owls in the genus Otus. Its small size, ear tufts, yellow eyes, and night-time calls help distinguish it from larger forest owls.
Why is it called Wallace's scops owl?
The species is named after Alfred Russel Wallace, the British naturalist who explored the Malay Archipelago. Its scientific name is Otus silvicola.
How is Wallace's scops owl different from the Flores scops owl?
Both species occur on Flores, but the Flores scops owl, Otus alfredi, is notably smaller. Wallace's scops owl is the more widespread of the two and also occurs on Sumbawa.
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