Sokoke Scops Owl (Otus ireneae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sokoke Scops Owl

Otus ireneae Ripley, 1966

50 gWeight

The Sokoke scops owl (Otus ireneae), also Morden's scops owl or Morden's owlet, is a highly localized species of scops owl found in lowland forests of Kenya and Tanzania.

Busiest months: August and November · Most records: Kenya

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Sokoke Scops Owl has been recorded at 1 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest NRKenya394 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Kenya

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Sokoke scops owl (Otus ireneae), also Morden's scops owl or Morden's owlet, is a highly localized species of scops owl found in lowland forests of Kenya and Tanzania. The greatest population of this species of owl is in the Cynometra-Manilkara forest, which is less than one-third of the Sokoke Forest. It is also found in the Afzelia-Cynometra forest.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sokoke Scops Owl?

The Sokoke Scops Owl weighs around 50 g.

Where does the Sokoke Scops Owl live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southeastern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya.

When is the best time to see the Sokoke Scops Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Sokoke Scops Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sokoke Scops Owl as Endangered.

What does the Sokoke Scops Owl eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Sokoke Scops Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Weight
50 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
113 mm
Tail
56 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: southeastern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Otus

Other birds in the genus Otus

Giant Scops OwlGiant Scops OwlOtus gurneyiWhite-fronted Scops OwlWhite-fronted Scops OwlOtus sagittatusReddish Scops OwlReddish Scops OwlOtus rufescensSerendib Scops OwlSerendib Scops OwlOtus thilohoffmanniSandy Scops OwlSandy Scops OwlOtus icterorhynchusAndaman Scops OwlAndaman Scops OwlOtus balliFlores Scops OwlFlores Scops OwlOtus alfrediMountain Scops OwlMountain Scops OwlOtus spilocephalusJavan Scops OwlJavan Scops OwlOtus angelinaeMindanao Scops OwlMindanao Scops OwlOtus mirusLuzon Scops OwlLuzon Scops OwlOtus longicornisMindoro Scops OwlMindoro Scops OwlOtus mindorensis
Sokoke Scops Owl

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages