The Negros scops owl, also known as the Visayan scops owl, is an owl, endemic to the islands of Negros and Panay in the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. It has a distinct and striking rufous or reddish brown crown, nape and face. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Philippine scops owl. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting for the pet trade.
Region
Central Philippines (Western Visayas)
Typical Environment
Occurs in remaining primary and mature secondary forests on Negros and Panay, favoring dense understory and forest edges. It uses bamboo thickets, riparian corridors, and clearings near forest, but is most common where canopy cover remains intact. Roosts by day close to trunks or in vine tangles, relying on cryptic plumage. Where habitat persists, it may be locally fairly common, but is absent from heavily degraded lowlands.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1700 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Visayan scops owl, it is confined to the Philippine islands of Negros and Panay and was once treated as a subspecies of the Philippine scops owl. Its prominent ear tufts and rufous facial disc help break up its outline when roosting against tree bark. It is threatened by rapid forest loss and some trapping for the pet trade, making intact forest crucial for its survival.
A roosting Negros scops owl in Liptong Woodland
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with silent glides between perches
Social Behavior
Typically encountered alone or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Likely monogamous, nesting in natural cavities, old woodpecker holes, or tree hollows lined with vegetation. Clutch size is small, and both adults defend the nest area with distraction displays and soft calls.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of soft, whistled hoots, often a repeated single or double note spaced at regular intervals. Duetting between pair members occurs at dusk and night, with notes carrying through forest edges but remaining mellow and ventriloquial.