Sokoke Scops-Owl

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.

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.

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.