CENRO Boracay takes custody of a Scops-owl

Not only is the island of Boracay a haven for turtles and the world’s largest flying foxes. Its remaining forestland is also home to Mantanani Scops-owl (Otus mantananensis).

On July 13, 2020, the team of Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Boracay Island received a juvenile Mantanani Scops-Owl (Otus mantananensis) from Alona Lagamo, a resident of Zone 6 Brgy. Balabag, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan.

The Mantanani was originally found by Anthony Flores inside his house. Anthony is a friend of Jhun Lagamo, Alona’s husband.

Anthony brought the owl to the Lagamo family on July 8, 2020.

The owl, although in good condition, refuses to eat. The Lagamo got worried that they decided to turn over the owl to authorities by first sending a message to the DENR Aklan Public Affairs Facebook Page.

PENRO Aklan responded by requesting for further details about the wildlife and then coordinated with OIC CENR Officer Rhodel B. Lababit who later dispatched one of the staff, Haron Deo Vargas, to the Lagamo’s residence and verified the report.

The CENRO team coordinated with the bird experts in Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PBCFI) and were able to identify the bird as a Mantanani Scops–owl (Otus mantananensis). It is a Romblonis subspecies, and a near endemic owl of the Philippines.

It is listed as near-threatened (NT) under the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its declining population caused by forest loss and degradation.

The Mantanani is endemic to the islets off Sabah, Malaysia and Palawan, Philippines. It has a buff facial disk with a narrow, dark border. It has dark brown upperparts with pale markings on the scapulars, and pale underparts with dark streaks and barring. It has yellow iris, grey feet and bill, and feathered tarsus.

As of this writing, the owl is under the custody of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-CENRO Boracay.

“We commend the effort of the locals in the community in doing proactive roles in the protection of our wildlife. Boracay Island is such a precious habitat of our natural wildlife,” said regional executive director Francisco E. Milla, Jr. of the DENR Region 6.

Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act prohibit the capture of any wild birds regardless of their conservation status. (DENR-6)