Philippine (Negros) Scops Owl

This is one of the Philippines' smallest scops owl: the nigrorum race of the Philippine Scops Owl, Otus philippensis nigrorum endemic to the islands of Negros and Panay. Philippine Scops Owls are excellent nocturnal hunters, preying on insects, lizards, small mammals such as rodents, shrews and sometimes small birds. Other taxonomists treat this race as an entirely different species called Negros Scops Owl. Aside from the morphological differences from the Luzon race and the Mindanao and Bohol race, the call of this Negros Scops Owl is also different. ** UPDATE (April 2016) The Philippine Scops Owl has been split into three: this one here is called Negros Scops Owl, the Luzon birds are still called Philippine Scops Owl and the birds from Mindanao and Bohol are called Everett's Scops Owl. Philippine (Negros) Scops Owl, Otus philippensis nigrorum Valencia, Negros Oriental, Philippines