From John Clayton

Meet the Karthala Scops Owl !

The Karthala scops owl (Otus pauliani), also known as Grand Comoro scops owl or Comoro scops owl, is a small, scops owl endemic to the island of Grande Comore in the Comoro Islands.

The Karthala scops owl lacks ear tufts and come in two colour forms, a light morph and a dark morph. The light morph is dark greyish brown on the upperparts with fine barring and pale spots along the scapulars. The underparts are reddish buff with a dense pattern of fine barring on the flight feathers and tail. The dark morph is overall dark chocolate brown but no specimen of a dark morph individual has been taken. It measures approximately 20 cm (7.9 in) in length and the wingspan is 45 cm (18 in).

A whistled “toot” which is given repeatedly with one second intervals.

Endemic to the island of Grande Comore, the Karthala scops owl is found only on Mount Karthala, an active volcano. Here it inhabits the montane forest, some secondary growth and the tree heath above the forest.

Nocturnal and very territorial, the Karthala scops owl will approach an imitation of its call, otherwise almost unknown. It has relatively weak talons so probably feeds on insects and other invertebrates. It is though to nest in tree cavities.

It has an estimated population of 2,000. It is classified as endangered due to it being restricted to such a small area, which is being rapidly deforested.