Scops longicornis Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. (1894), 3, 51;
Ibis (1894), 504; (1895), 439; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 287;
McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 3, 7.
Otus longicornis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 46.
Bang-aó, Benguet.
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).
Adult male.--Upper parts bright rufous, the feathers with streaks and
irregular bars of blackish brown, mostly near their tips; forehead,
line over each eye, and complete collar white, the feathers blackish at
their tips; collar narrow but distinct on hind neck, wider on breast;
loral plumes with white bars and black tips, the longest plumes
about 28 mm.; ear-tufts colored like the head, longest feathers 31
mm.; ear-coverts barred with white, blackish brown, and rufous; chin
whitish; throat and sides of throat white, each feather with a black
tip and subterminal rufous line; breast rich rufous boldly mottled
with black and less white; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts
largely white, the feathers mottled with blackish and rusty brown;
thighs rufous; wings blackish, mottled and speckled with fulvous and
rusty brown, tail similar. Bill dingy dull green, tip and cutting edge
dark brown; cere dirty flesh at base but dull yellowish green over
nostrils; legs whitish flesh; nails gray; iris bright yellow. Length,
184; wing, 145; tail, 72; culmen from base, 17; tarsus, 33.
Adult female.--Similar to the male. Length, 190; wing, 153; tail,
71; culmen from base, tip broken, 18; tarsus, 30.
Downy young.--The natal down is pure light gray; this soon gives place
to a soft gray plumage barred with brown, darker on head and upper
parts. A nest with three downy young was found in Benguet, Luzon,
on May 26.
"A single male specimen of this remarkable little owl was obtained. It
most nearly resembles Scops pennatus, but may be instantly recognized
by having the basal half of the tarsi entirely devoid of feathers,
as well as by the length of the horn-like feathers on the head, which
measure 38 mm., whereas in S. pennatus the longest are only 23. The
markings on the feathers of the head are coarse and form black bands,
and the whole of the markings on the back and under parts are coarser
and less neat. Length, 203; wing, 142; tail, 74; tarsus, 29; of which
15 is naked and covered with small octagonal scales." (Grant.)
The subject of Grant's remarks, quoted above, was a long-horned
screech owl collected by Whitehead in "North Luzon." The same collector
secured specimens in Lepanto and I have seen a living example which
was reported as having come from Nueva Ecija.