Otus megalotis
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Philippine scops owl (Otus megalotis), also Luzon lowland scops owl is a common owl, endemic to the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. Other common names include "Otus Whitehead", "Whitehead scops owl" and "Luzon lowland scops owl". Everett's scops owl (O. everetti) and Negros scops owls (O. nigrorum) were formerly considered conspecific but are now classified as separate species.
Distinguishing features of these birds include their large upright ears from which they get their specific name megalotis, Ancient Greek for "large ears". Philippine scops owls are relatively small, sedentary birds that are naturally found in the forest understory. There are three subspecies which show variations in morphology and are distributed among different islands of the Philippine Archipelago. They are a monogamous species that offer parental care and construct their nest in tree cavities. These owls are ferocious nocturnal carnivores that feed on insects and small mammals. The IUCN Red List considers this species as Least Concern but they may be vulnerable to deforestation and fragmentation.
The Philippine scops owl is a fairly small-to-mid-sized... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Philippine Scops-Owl sighting in Manila on a given day, based on 73 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 134th most-seen of the 191 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Philippine Scops-Owl in Manila on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Philippine Scops-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Manila, in our data
Manila is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Philippine Scops-Owl sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Philippine Scops-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Manila (73 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
