Mauritius Scops Owl

Overview

Mauritius Scops Owl (Otus sauzieri) is a species of Owls (Strigidae) in the order Owls.

Scientific Classification

Genus: Otus; binomial: Otus sauzieri; authority: (Newton, E & Gadow, 1893).

Distribution

Breeding range: the Indian Ocean.

Conservation Status

This taxon is listed as Extinct in the IOC World Bird List.

Remarks

Formerly attibuted to the endemic Mascarene genus Mascarenotus but that genus is embedded in Otus and is sister to other Indian Ocean taxa in that genus (Louchart et al. 2018). See Cheke & Hume (2008). Change English name from Mauritius Owl to Mauritius Scops Owl to align with other major world bird lists.