Otus rutilus
Silhouette: Armelle Ansart (photograph), Maxime Dahirel (digitisation) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Madagascar scops owl (Otus rutilus), also known as the Malagasy scops owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found throughout Madagascar, now that it has recently been lumped with the Torotoroka scops owl (O. r. madagascariensis), previously considered a separate species. The nominate O. r. rutilus is referred to as the rainforest scops owl.
The Madagascar scops owl is a relatively small owl with short, rounded wings and short erectile ear-tufts on top of the head. There are three morphs recorded of this species: a grey morph, a brown morph and a rufous morph. Features which stand out from the main plumage color are the pale eyebrows, light spots on the scapulars and the barring on the wings and outer tail feathers. Sometimes the crown and the underparts are streaked. The bill has a black tip and may be dull green through to yellowish-grey and the eyes are yellow. They measure 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) in length and have a wingspan of 52–54 cm (20–21 in).
Two formerly distinct species were identified by different habitat preferences, with Torotoroka preferring drier habitats and rainforest preferring wetter forests. Some small plumage and vocal differences... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Scops-Owl sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 75th most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascar Scops-Owl in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May, August and October–December, the lowest months. That is one of Ranomafana National Park's wettest months, with about 380 mm of rain against 80 mm in September. January and June have too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Madagascar Scops-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Madagascar Scops-Owl sightings, Ranomafana National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Berenty Reserve (Madagascar, about 30%), Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 30%) and Mantadia National Park (Madagascar, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Madagascar Scops-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Ranomafana National Park (35 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
