[KENYABIRDSNET] NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 3rd MARCH 2019

Hi Brian,

That's a great find for the Finch Pentad and Nairobi National Park. Congratulations!

In your letter for your 3 March 2019 visit to NNP, you state, " The closest
northwards, is Samburu District NE of Mt Kenya."

Recall that I saw Otus scops and recorded its loud call Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (Laikipia County, ca. 20 km off the NW side of Mt. Kenya) at 2130 m asl in cedar-olive-acokcanthera-euclea open woodland on 4 May 2017 (this is at the Main House...where I live). I need to get back to my notes, but, best as I recall, I'd heard this bird calling ('peeeeuu') for a few months before finally seeing and recording it. I heard this owl, and searched for it perhaps 30X before finally seeing it. Call most often heard just after dark...about 19:10 h. It gave the species-typical 'peeeeuu' 2X or 3X, spaced ca. 7 seconds apart...then either flew off immediately (I got glimpses) or (perhaps) remained perched and quiet. As such, very hard to see. 4 May 2017 was the first time I became aware that a pair was present, as they were dueting ca. 5 m apart (1 series of ca. 40X duets); one giving the typical 'loud call'/'territorial call' ('tooo' or 'peeeeuu') followed by the 'fledgling begging call' (a raspy 'kuurp') as often recorded in Europe: www.xeno-cento.org/species/otus-scops). They apparently departed soon after this (perhaps even that night)...as I did not hear any calls after 4 May 2017.

I also heard this bird many times at the Main House during ca. April-May 2016...but was never able to see it. It was my 'Mystery Bird' for 2 years. I did not hear this species during 2018, and have not heard it this year.

Looking at what notes that I do have at hand, I see that Darcy Ogada said that she saw an Otus scops at Thika on 9 November 2018...also north of NNP. This bird dragged into a house by a cat....where it died.

Cheers, Tom

Thomas M. Butynski, PhD

Director, Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme

Sustainability Centre Eastern Africa

P. O. Box 149

Nanyuki 10400

Kenya

Mobile telephone: 020-356-1665

E-mail: tbutynski@aol.com

Websites: www.wildsolutions.nl and www.lolldaiga.com

In a message dated 3/4/2019 2:39:33 PM E. Africa Standard Time, kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com writes:

NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 3rd MARCH 2019

4 EURASIAN SCOPS OWL
This is the first ever record of a Scops Owl in the Park. It is also
the 474th species for “Finch Pentad.” There is only one feature in the
field that separates Eurasian from African Scops Owl, and that is
whether the 10th Primary is longer than the 5th (Eurasian) or shorter
than 5th (African). The wing-shape is very important if you are a
long-distance migrant, or a stay at home! So we paid special attention
to this feature, and the 10th is longer than 5th, even reaching the
tip of the tail. Nairobi is in a very large hole in the distribution
of African Scops Owl, and there are no records near here. The closest
northwards, is Samburu District NE of Mt Kenya, westwards it’s common
in the eastern Maasai Mara, eastwards not until reaching the
Tsavo-like habitat, and I have no idea where the closest birds are but
certainly well off the plateau. Then southwards, maps show it as
occurring along the extreme southern border with Tanzania. I have
never seen or heard it anywhere along the road to and including Magadi
or Natron, Southern White-faced is the only Scops representative.
Conversely Eurasian Scops have been examined in the hand from Mt Kenya
south to Nairobi (but not the Park), Limuru, Machakos and Kajiado. I
have no doubts that this is a Eurasian and not African Scops Owl. We
were in the car park at Ololo Lodge. It was the birds that found it
for us, and it was being mobbed by a variety of bush birds, whilst
looking for the instigator of the commotion we flushed the bird twice
and then it posed openly but in vine tangles and we got some nice
images.