Principe scops owl

The Principe scops owl (Otus bikegila) is a species of scops owl found only on Príncipe Island of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. First noticed by its distinctive nighttime call, it was formally described in 2022.[1][2] Given its low population numbers and tiny range, researchers have asked the IUCN to declare it Critically Endangered.[3]

Principe scops owl
A collage of photos of the owl species Otus bikegila
A composite of photographs of the Principe scops owl
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species:
O. bikegila
Binomial name
Otus bikegila
Melo et al., 2022

Call

The bird's call has been described as "tuu," repeated quickly, sometimes in duets. The birds begin to call almost as soon as it gets dark.[4]

Etymology

The owl's Latin name was given in honor of park ranger and former parrot harvester Ceciliano "Bikegila" do Bom Jesus.[4]

References
  1. Melo, Martim; Freitas, Bárbara; Verbelen, Philippe; Da Costa, Sátiro R.; Pereira, Hugo; Fuchs, Jérôme; Sangster, George; Correia, Marco N.; De Lima, Ricardo F.; Crottini, Angelica (2022). "A new species of scops-owl (Aves, Strigiformes, Strigidae, Otus) from Príncipe Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa) and novel insights into the systematic affinities within Otus". ZooKeys (1126): 1–54. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1126.87635.
  2. Bittel, Jason (31 October 2022). "New owl species found—and it has a haunting screech". National Geographic. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  3. Freitas, Bárbara; Melo, Martim; Do Bom Jesus, Ceciliano; Da Costa, Sátiro R.; Dos Santos, Yodiney; Crottini, Angelica; De Lima, Ricardo Faustino (2022). "The recently discovered Principe Scops-owl is highly threatened: Distribution, habitat associations, and population estimates". Bird Conservation International. 33: 1–10. doi:10.1017/S0959270922000429. S2CID 253249196.
  4. Pensoft Publishers (October 31, 2022). "New species of owl discovered in the rainforests of Príncipe Island, Central Africa" (Press release). Retrieved November 1, 2022.


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