Kingdom Animalia Genus Otus Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Family Strigidae Scientific name Otus madagascariensis Higher classification Scops owl Order Owl | |
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Similar Scops owl, Owl, Bird, Rainforest scops owl, Mayotte scops owl | ||
The Torotoroka scops owl (Otus madagascariensis) is a taxon of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Madagascar, and was previously been regarded as its own species. However, O. madagascariensis and the rainforest scops owl Otus. rutilus have now been re-lumped following Fuchs et al. (2007) as the Madagascar scops owl or Malagasy scops owl. The scientific name of the combined species is yet to be agreed, although rutilus would appear to be have priority.
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Description
Very similar to the rainforest scops owl Otus rutilus, and possibly indistinguishable from it.
Distribution and habitat
This taxon is endemic to the south and eastern parts of Madagascar.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests, as well as man-made habitats such as parks, up to 2000m above sea level.
Taxonomy
The Torotoroka scops owl, the Mayotte scops owl Otus mayottensis, the Pemba scops owl Otus pembaensis and the rainforest scops owl Otus rutilus have all previously been lumped as one species. The taxonomy is in state of flux but recent genetic studies have placed the Pemba scops owl closer to the clade containing the African scops owl Otus sengalensis, while the Mayotte scops owl is clearly separate from the remaining two. The status of the rainforest and Torotoroka scops owls as separate species is debatable as there may be very little genetic distance between the two taxa and subsequent studies have suggested that the plumage differences between rutilus and madgascarensis are small and that their voices intergrade. If that is the case then the rainforest and Torotoroka scops owls become subspecies of the Madagascar scops owl.