A New Owl Has Been Discovered, And Its Screech Is Terrifying

Living on such a large and diverse planet means some things will always remain just a touch out of reach. What about an owl that’s been hidden away from the rest of the world this entire time? It turns out a new owl has been discovered - and there’s a good reason it’s never been found before.

That doesn’t mean that people had no idea about something living on the island of Príncipe. Instead, locals to the West African island have been used to hearing a screeching noise throughout all hours of the night. The reality? It’s not a cat or monkey behind the noises; it’s a secret owl.

The Principe scops-owl is similar to other species of scops-owl

Believe it or not, but there could be as many as 59 different types of scops-owl in the world. Still, the discovery of the Principe scops-owl - officially called Otus bikegila - is different from the rest. For almost 100 years, people living on Príncipe Island have reported hearing strange screechings in the night that sound like a yowling cat or calling monkey. It wasn’t until the last few years that people had a breakthrough when looking for the creature behind the noise. Even so, it took until the end of 2022 for the Principe scops-owl to earn its official name and classification. Like other owls in the species, this one has brown feathers, is small, and is a perch-and-pounce type of owl. 

Researchers had to piece together facts about the new owl

Just because researchers knew there was something unusual in the area didn’t mean they had all the answers to their questions. Instead, they had to search high and low to uncover as much as they could about the Principe scops-owl. While they still have no idea why they make such unusual noises or that the new owl eats, they do have enough to know it’s different from the others. Bárbara Freitas is an evolutionary biologist in Madrid and says this is “an integrative study” because it’s been a “puzzle.” In fact, Bárbara says it wasn’t until they “put together all the data” they realized the owl had never been discovered before.

The Principe scops-owl could be an endangered species already

One thing that did stand out to the researchers looking into the Principe scops-owl was how few of them remain already. It’s estimated there are between 1,000 and 1,500 of the owls living on Príncipe Island as scientists figured out they only live over an area of around five square miles. This is found in the Príncipe Obô Natural Park, which is already protected, but Bárbara Freitas worries they are entirely reliant on the native forest. If that’s the case, the fact the forest can be damaged so easily could have devastating consequences for the owls. Now, the research team is hoping the birds will be moved onto the critically endangered list, meaning they have even more protection. 

A former bird snatcher helped discover the Principe scops-owl

Believe it or not, but Ceciliano do Bom Jesus - better known as Bikegila - once spent his time snatching African gray parrot chicks from their nest to sell to the pet trade. That was before 2006, when the Príncipe Obô Natural Park was founded, and the area became heavily protected. Now, Bikegila has put his knowledge of the area to good use by helping researchers explore the forest in search of the Principe scops-owl. In fact, Bikegila is thought to have been one of the first people to ever spot the bird while looking for parrots at the start of the ‘90s. Nowadays, Bikegila spends most of his time working as a local guide aiding scientists and even had the bird scientifically named in his honor as a result.

Even though a new owl has been discovered after so many years of keeping people guessing, it seems researchers need to work fast if they’re going to keep them around. Thankfully, all the right steps are being taken to ensure the Principe scops-owls are being given the most protection they can before it’s too late.