The São Tomé scops owl is a species of owl in the true owl family, Strigidae. It is endemic to São Tomé Island, part of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.
Region
Gulf of Guinea (São Tomé Island)
Typical Environment
Occurs in the island’s moist evergreen and montane forests, favoring mature primary forest with a closed canopy and abundant epiphytes. It is most frequently encountered in mid‑elevation zones but may use adjacent secondary forest where canopy structure persists. The species perches quietly within dense understory and along shaded ravines and stream corridors. It can occasionally be found near forest edges and in shade‑grown agroforests contiguous with native habitat, but avoids heavily disturbed open areas. Nesting depends on natural tree cavities in large, old trees.
Altitude Range
500–1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small scops owl is found only on São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea and is named in honor of the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub. It is a nocturnal forest specialist that relies on tree cavities for nesting and dense canopy for hunting. Its soft, repetitive whistles carry far in the still island nights, and pairs often duet. Habitat loss and degradation are the principal concerns for its long‑term survival.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, agile through forest
Social Behavior
Primarily nocturnal and secretive, usually encountered singly or in pairs holding territories. Breeding pairs nest in natural cavities, often in mature trees, and defend nest sites with persistent calling. Clutch sizes are small, and both adults participate in care. Outside the breeding season it remains largely solitary within well-defined home ranges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a soft, monotonous series of whistled hoots, typically spaced at regular intervals. Pairs often duet, with slightly different pitch between individuals. Calls carry well through the forest at night, aiding territory advertisement and mate contact.
Plumage
Mottled brown to rufous upperparts with fine barring and darker streaks; underparts pale brown with streaking. Small but distinct ear tufts and a defined facial disc give a typical scops-owl look. Some individuals show a warmer rufous morph.
Diet
Feeds mainly on large nocturnal insects such as moths, beetles, and orthopterans, supplemented by spiders and other arthropods. It may occasionally take small vertebrates like geckos or frogs when available. Hunting is typically from low to mid-level perches, using short sallies to capture prey. Prey is swallowed whole or torn into manageable pieces with the hooked bill.
Preferred Environment
Forages within the forest interior, along shaded trails, ravines, and stream margins where insect activity is high. Uses perches beneath the canopy and in dense understory to ambush passing prey. May also exploit forest edges and shade-grown cocoa near intact forest.
