Socotra Scops Owl (Otus socotranus) — Vorstman's Guide to the Birds of North Africa and the Middle East

Voice

The song is a low, hollow wook-wook or kroo-ruk, repeated in a regular series; very different from the purring of Arabian and African Scops Owl, and more like that of Oriental Scops Owl.

Listen: CallXC1091773

Recording: Mischa Keijmel — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · converted to mono · xeno-canto

Identification

Very small, with short ear tufts and a round head. Plumage light grey-brown with fine vermiculation and thin dark shaft streaks, less contrasting than in Arabian Scops Owl. The face is pale grey with a narrow dark rim, the eyes are yellow. By day it roosts in cavities, rock crevices or dense foliage.

Confusion species

No other scops owl occurs on Socotra; wandering Eurasian Scops-Owls (Otus scops) on passage are much rarer and larger, with a whistled song. The Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) of Socotra is much larger, with a white heart-shaped face.

Habitat

Rocky semi-desert with scattered trees and shrubs, wadis with figs and tamarisks, date palm groves and the slopes of the Haggeher mountains. Most numerous where there are old palms. Occurs over more than half of the island, from the coast into the hills. Probably nests in natural cavities; eggs are laid early in the year, around January.

Where the bird is most at home, classified by the habitats of North Africa and the Middle East.

Range and movements

Endemic to Socotra (Yemen), where it occurs across much of the island, from the coastal plains and palm groves near Hadibu to the slopes of the Haggeher and the Homhil plateau. Not recorded on the smaller islands of the archipelago (Abd al Kuri, Samha and Darsa). Found nowhere else.

Passage (Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov)
dark = core range, pale = thinly spread

Density map from the occurrence records of GBIF (2006-10-01 – 2026-09-30), counted per 0.7° grid cell and per month and divided by all bird records in that same cell — so the number of birdwatchers does not shape the picture. Colour depth follows that share and fades out gradually, so the map does not follow national borders. Country outlines: Natural Earth (public domain).

How and when to look

The palm groves around Hadibu and the wadis of Homhil and Dixam are good sites; the song starts shortly after sunset and the bird often perches well on a low branch or palm frond.

Conservation status

Not threatened according to the Red List, but with its small, isolated range vulnerable to changes on the island: overgrazing by goats, felling of old palms and trees, road building and tropical storms.

Scientific name

Otus socotranus | (Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, 1899)

Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes described the species in 1899 as Scops socotranus; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Otus was introduced in 1769 by Pennant. Otus is Latin for 'eared owl', borrowed from the Greek ōtos, from ous 'ear'. socotranus refers to Socotra, the island where the species occurs. The specimen the first description was based on came from Socotra, Yemen.