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". Philippine scops owls are relatively small, sedentary birds that are naturally found in the forest understory. A distinguishing feature of this owl is its large ears that stand upright on its head. They also have big eyes that are dark in the center with a red/orange edge. In general, these owls are covered in dark brown feathers with dark streaks. Their ear-tufts also have a similar pattern. Their forehead is whitish and they have a dark line around their facial disc. There are three subspecies of Philippine scops owl which show three variations in morphology. The smallest subspecies, O. m. nigrorum, has a reddish-brown color, no scapular line, and no feathers on its upper feet. The medium-sized subspecies, O. m. everetti, also lacks a scapular line and feathers on its upper feet but it has a more greyish-brown color. Finally, O. m. megalotis is the largest of all three subspecies and also has a grey-brown color but it shows a scapular line and feathers on its upper feet.
There are no significant differences in morphology between male and female Philippine scops owls, although female scops owls tend to be larger in general. The Otus genus (scops owls) is one of the largest owl genera, counting approximately 50 species, yet these species are one of the smallest in size. They are all found in the Old World with the exception of one species, the flammulated owl, which is found in North America. A distinguishing feature between this genus and other genera of the Striginae subfamily is vocalization.
The Philippine scops owl is endemic to the Philippine Archipelago. This group of approximately 7,000 islands is prone to speciation and is a great location to study phylogeography. It was formed around 30-35 million years ago and lead to the evolution of different subspecies of O. megalotis. The expansion and contraction of biomes during the last glaciation period as well as the topography in that area lead to isolation of individuals which eventually caused speciation.
O. megalotis is endemic to the Philippine Archipelago but the three subspecies are distributed in different locations across the archipelago. O. m. megalotis species is found mostly in the northern islands such as Luzon, Marinduque and Catanduanes. O. m. everetti species exists in the eastern and southern islands including Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Mindanao and Basilan. Finally, O. m. nigrorum species is endemic to Negros Island.
Although they are classified as a species of Least Concern, habitat destruction from deforestation and fragmentation is a major threat to their population as they depend on forests for their survival.
Reproduction
O. megalotis is often spotted alone but has also been seen in monogamous pairs. Not a lot of information is known about their reproduction but they are thought to breed throughout the year where females will lay 1 or 2 eggs annually. Sexual maturity is reached around the age of 2 but their lifespan is unknown.
Gallery
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File:Philippie Scoop Owl.jpg|Philippine scops owl
File:Výreček filipínský Zoo Praha.jpg|Philippine scops owl, Prague Zoo
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