• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This owl is known from only two locations in a very small range, within which its very small population is in decline as a result of continuing habitat loss and degradation. For these reasons it is classified as Endangered.

Population justification
The population is estimated to number in the low hundreds or the low thousands based on an analysis of historical and recent records and surveys. An estimate derived from density data from congeners, and data on the species's Extent of Occurrence, suggests the population numbers 250-2,499 mature individuals. This is roughly equivalent to 370-3,800 individuals in total.

Trend justification
Much habitat below 1,300 m has now been destroyed, yet forest continues to be lost and as a result the species is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate.

Otus alfredi is endemic to the island of Flores, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (BirdLife International 2001). Originally collected on Gunung Repok in 1896 in the Todo mountains of south-west Flores, it was not seen again until 1994, when a single juvenile was mist-netted and collected at 1,400 m on the northern slopes of Poco Mandasawu in the Ruteng mountains, and an adult was mist-netted at Danau Ranamese at 1,200 m in the Ruteng mountains. It has since been seen again at Danau Ranamese in 1997, 2005 (when its vocalisations were described), 2006 (Hutchinson et al. 2007) and now with some regularity by bird watchers (Simay et al. 2009).  Other reports include observations at Sisok forest and Mbeliling Forest Reserve (Reeve and Rabenak 2015). Local reports suggest it may also still occur on Gunung Repok, but information regarding its population is completely lacking. A record of the species in Keli Mutu was an eastward extension of its range (Hutchinson et al. 2007, Verbelen in litt. 2016) and Mbeliling a westward extension of its range (Simay et al. 2009). 

It inhabits montane forest from 1,000 m to at least 1,400 m. If it survives on Gunung Repok, as villagers report, then it must either tolerate the highly degraded forest now present below 1,300 m around the type-locality, or occur above 1,500 m in stunted montane forest. One bird was observed perching 15 m up in the subcanopy. It is assumed to be resident, but may perhaps make local altitudinal movements.

Forest loss and fragmentation (chiefly as a result of shifting cultivation, dry season burn-off and road-building) is already extensive on Flores, with remaining forest tracts generally confined to steep-sided valleys and higher peaks. This species has a remarkably small known range, and most primary forest has been cleared or degraded in the mountains outside of Ruteng Nature Recreation Park.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. It has recently been recorded in the Ruteng Nature Recreation Park, newly established to protect an important remnant tract of montane forest.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct extensive nocturnal surveys (using mist-netting and use of vocalisations if available [Hutchinson et al. 2007]), on mountains in the Ruteng massif, and also the ridge forests of Mata Wae Ndeo (north of the Tanjung Kerita Mese peninsula) to establish its range, status and ecological requirements. Identify, and propose for strict protection, an appropriate area of mid-altitude, semi-evergreen forest to conserve a range of upper-elevation endemic taxa. Implement active management of Ruteng Nature Recreation Park to protect this owl and its habitat, and upgrade forest adjacent to Rana Mese within this park to wildlife sanctuary status.

Identification

19-21 cm. Small, forest-dwelling owl. Solid dark rufous-brown facial disc with white eyebrows and rufous ear-tufts. Fine white markings on forehead, unstreaked rufous crown. Uniform dark rufous upperparts with streaks or bars. White stripe on scapulars, flight feathers barred rufous-and-white, tail unbarred. White underparts with chest often rusty-brown but no dark markings. Yellow iris, bill and feet. Similar spp. Red morph Moluccan Scops-owl O. magicus usually larger, with dark streaks on crown, dark smudges on chest and distinctive call. Wallace's Scops-owl O. silvicola larger and greyer, with orange iris and dark markings on chest. Voice Gives single short, sharp call notes UH at intervals of 1.5-2.5 seconds. Territorial calls are more common and comprise a distinctive short burst of loud, rapid staccato notes transcribed as UH-UH-UH-UH... with each phrase containing 5-13 notes (Hutchinson et al. 2007).

Acknowledgements

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Taylor, J., Tobias, J., Martin, R, North, A.

Contributors
Eaton, J., Pilgrim, J., Trainor, C., Butchart, S., Hutchinson, R.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Flores Scops-owl Otus alfredi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/flores-scops-owl-otus-alfredi on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.