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A possible new species of Scops Owl Otus sp on Reunion? Eric Renman D uring a visit to Reunion in October-November Whatistheprobabilityofa ‘ReunionScops Owl? 1993,1wasfortunateenoughtosee,inadditionto Therearelargeareasofundisturbednativeforestinthe the known endemic vertebrates ofthe island, some- north and east ofReunion. The area Ivisited is well- thingcompletelyunknowntome.Ontheeveningof30 frequented byvisitors, but otherparts have notbeen October 1993 in montane forest an owl-like creature openedupbythecuttingofroadsortracks.Thenative appeared. forestitselfisalmostimpenetrable, bothforbotanical Theobservationsweremadeatapicnicsiteabout and topographic reasons. There would seem to be 300mbelowthegiteatPlaine plentyofpotentialfood avail- d'Affouches(whereroadRF y-,%.->„ .• . ableatthesiteasReunionOlive 20 ends). The site is partly White-eyeZosteropsolivaceus, hidden in a stand of intro- GreyWhite-eyeZ.borbonicus ducedJapanese Red Cedar and Reunion Stone-Chat Cryptomeriajaponica and Saxicolatecteswerecommon veryclosetoanareaofna- there,togetherwithafewnot tiveforest.Iatealoneatthe socommonspecies. site at dusk and then, at None ofthe few French about 20.00hr, I suddenly and German tourists I en- heard a scops owl-like countered during my sound kraaoo, similar to ' nine-day stay showed any thatofAfricanScopsOwl interestinbirds,nordidany Otus(scops)senegalensis. ofthelocalpeople.Therare However, it was louder, birdinggroupsfromabroad moredrawnoutandalittle ? probablystayinhotelsinSt more metallic. Half a Denisandthusmissnoctur- minute later it was heard nal animals. It is possible, once more and I was now therefore, thatthe forests of convincedthatitwasakind Reuniondoholdanunknown ofscopsowl.Imovedslowly scops owl. However, if the towardsthetreefromwhere birdIsawwasascopsowlit thesoundwas coming. Un- might have been an escape. fortunately,Ihadnoflashon MadagascarScopsOwlOtusrutilus Escapeornot,Isuggestbird- my camera and no torch ByMartinWoodcock ers visiting Reunion keep an within easy reach. When I eyeopen!® approachedIsawaflyingsilhouetteofasmallowl-like Algeby 26:12, 18691Brottby, Sweden. birddisappearingwithoutasoundwestwardsintothe nhaetairveitfaonreystm.oTrheerdeurwiansgathfuellnimgohtondetshpaittneigshlte.epIidnigdnouott EsdciotposroiwallonontRee:uOnnionthweofualcde bofeiatstuhreprdiisse.coNvoernyeohfasa at the picnic site, nor could I find it the following everbeen reported, either by early visitors orbythe morning. thousandsofpoacherswhousedtoextracttree-roost- Whatcouldit havebeen?There arenorecordsof ingfruitbatsfromtheirholes.Inacomparablesituation any scops owl - nor indeed ofany owl species - on onAnjouan, AnjouanScopsOwl, thoughveryrare, is Rreecuonridoinn.goIfhMaavdea,gausnfcoarrtSuncaotpeslyO,wlneOvteursrhuetailruds,awhtiacphe known to almost every villager. There is sub-fossil might be expected to be the nearest relative of a eScvoipdse.ncOenotfhaenotohwelrhoanndR,eutnheiroenabruetsuitb-ifsonssoitltrheamtaoifnsa ‘ReunionScopsOwl’.NoramIfamiliarwiththecallsof oftwoowlspecies, onean Oft/ssp, fromMauritiusso SeychellesO.magicus,Anjouan 0.capnodes Karthala O.paulianiorPembaScopsOwlsO.pembaens,is;only it would be odd if a Scops had never occurred on Reunion.Also,asEricRenmanmakesclear,fewpeople thoseofAfricanandSokokeScopsOwl O. ireneaeare camp out in likely places. The editors are grateful to knowntome. RogerSaffordforthesecomments. 54 -Bu!!ABCVol2No 1 Short Notes