The taxonomic status of Annobón Scops Owl Otus feae and Arabian Scops Owl O. pamelae

The 2014 split of Annobón Scops Owl Otus feae from African Scops Owl O. senegalensis was encouraged by the combination of its insular status, great distance from nearest potential breeding parental populations and geographically leapfrog position in relation to São Tomé Scops Owl O. hartlaubi, but involved the examination of only two museum skins. To reconsider this arrangement, we examined seven additional skins of feae and analysed its songs. We found that, compared to O. senegalensis, feae has broader ventral streaks, weaker pale underwing barring, shorter tarsi, a longer tail, and slightly higher-pitched and longer song notes with more oscillations. The combination of these vocal and morphological differences supports the retention of species rank. However, Arabian Scops Owl O. pamelae, also recently separated from O. senegalensis, sings very much like feae, although it is notably divergent in morphology. Since individual senegalensis occasionally produce songs with characteristics of both feae and pamelae, we could
take the view that all three are conspecific; or, since their songs are so similar, that feae and pamelae are conspecific; or, by scoring sufficiently highly on current evidence to meet the Tobias criteria for species rank, that all three are best treated as species. Pending further research, we provisionally favour the last option.