Serendib Scops Owl
Serendib Scops OwlSerendib Scops Owl

Serendib Scops Owl

Otus thilohoffmanni

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
362 Verified records at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) is the most recently discovered bird of Sri Lanka. It was originally located by its unfamiliar poo-ooo call in the Kitulgala rainforest by prominent Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda. Six years later, it was finally seen by him on 23 January 2001 in Sinharaja, and formally described as a species new to science in 2004. Apart from Sinharaja and Kitulgala, it has also been found at Runakanda Reserve in Morapitiya and Eratna Gilimale. It is known as පඬුවන් බස්සා in Sinhala. It is the first new bird to be discovered in Sri Lanka since 1868, when the Sri Lanka whistling thrush—then Ceylon whistling thrush—(Myophonus blighi) was discovered. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Serendib Scops Owl sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 362 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Indian Scops-Owl
LC

Indian Scops-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Otus bakkamoena

<5% · Rare
Oriental Scops Owl
LC

Oriental Scops Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Otus sunia

Insufficient data
Chestnut-backed Owlet
NT

Chestnut-backed Owlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Glaucidium castanotum

20–30% · Possible
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl

Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ketupa nipalensis

<5% · Rare
Brown Boobook
LC

Brown Boobook

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ninox scutulata

<5% · Rare
Brown Fish-Owl
LC

Brown Fish-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ketupa zeylonensis

<5% · Rare
Brown Wood Owl
LC

Brown Wood Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Strix leptogrammica

Insufficient data
Jungle Owlet
LC

Jungle Owlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Glaucidium radiatum

Insufficient data
Sri Lanka Bay-Owl
LC

Sri Lanka Bay-Owl

Bird

Phodilus assimilis

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
20–30
Mar
20–30
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
20–30
Aug
10–20
Sep
20–30
Oct
30–40
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
20–30%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Serendib Scops Owl in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?

About 25% of wildlife watchers report a Serendib Scops Owl sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 362 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Serendib Scops Owl in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?

November has the highest sighting rate for Serendib Scops Owl in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.

← Back to Sinharaja Forest Reserve