Rare endemit : Sokoke Scops-Owl (Otus irenaea)
Sokoke Scops-Owl belongs to one of the smallest owls (approx.15cm tall, roughly the same size of house sparrow). Its occurence is linked to two sites only. There are areas with fragments of original coastal forest in Kenya ( Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve) and at low densities in the foothill forest of the East Usambara Mts. (Tansania). In Arabuko Sokoke Forests this owl is confined to the forest on the laterits soils with the Cynometra tree and Brachylaena tree where they nest in natural cavities. The total population is estimated around 2500 individuals. The surviving of this species depends on protection of original coastal forest. The picture shows couple of Sokoke-Scops Owl composed by two different colour forms (grey and rufous).
