First direct evidence of inter-island dispersal of Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans

Abstract

This report documents the first direct evidence of inter-island dispersal of Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans. Out of 134 individuals marked on Hateruma-jima Island in 2021, a female, which had been first captured as an adult bird, was discovered alive on Ishigaki-jima Island in 2022. The distance between the points of capture and resighting was 52.7 km. Since owls in the genus Otus show diversification between islands, direct evidence of movement between islands as given here, can contribute to future studies on the evolutionary process of the Otus owls.