Project: Ecology and Conservation of Serendib Scops Owl

Background

Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni), a small-sized owl with rufescent brown plumage in the Family Strigidae, was formally described in 2004, following the rigorous work of dedicated experts in the field of Ornithology (Warakagoda and Rasmussen 2004). Based on current knowledge, the species is restricted to the forest areas of the southwestern part of Sri Lanka (MOE 2021). Due to its high vulnerability to habitat loss and fragmentation, species have been listed as Endangered on the National Red List (MOE 2021). Aside from the anecdotal sightings of the species, mostly based on daytime roosts, no comprehensive monitoring or research work has been carried out to understand the ecology and population dynamics of the species. Consequently, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding O. thilohoffmanni.

Project goals

The project goals are;

to understand the habitat associations of O. thilohoffmanni using an occupancy modelling approach.
to support strengthening the conservation efforts on O. thilohoffmanni through recognising priority areas for conservation, considering both present and future distributions of the species and,
to assess the feasibility of applying the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) model as a novel conservation approach in Sri Lanka.

The fieldwork is currently underway across all Conservation Forests and Forest Reserves within the Sinharaja Forest Complex and in the vicinity, and beyond in the surrounding human-modified landscapes, employing novel techniques and approaches to better study the species. This effort is being carried out with the huge support of the staff of the Department of Forest Conservation, the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka, and local communities living in nearby areas of Sinharaja Forest Complex, and also the support of Electronics Design & Innovation Centre of the University of Kelaniya.

Project team

The project team brings together experts from diverse fields to better explore the species and support the conservation efforts. The team includes Kalya Subasinghe (PI; Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, University of Kelaniya), Timothee Bonnet (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Chamika Gallage (World Agroforestry Centre), Amila Sumanapala (University of Colombo), Kasun Piyumal (Department of Physics and Electronics, University of Kelaniya), Dinuke Munasinghe (University of Alabama), Dulan Vidanapathirana (Tour leader), Rob Magrath (Australian National University) and Upali Ekanayake (Tour leader).

Funding support

This project is supported by the Mohammed bin Zayed Conservation Fund (Funding approved December 2023).

References

Warakagoda, D. H., & Rasmussen, P. C. (2004) A new species of scops-owl from Sri Lanka. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 124: 85-105.

MOE (2021) The National Red List 2021 – Conservation status of the birds of Sri Lanka - 2021. Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka.

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