Mauritius Scops-Owl

The Mauritius scops owl, also known as the Mauritius owl or Mauritius lizard owl, is an extinct species of scops owl that lived on the Mascarene island of Mauritius. Contemporary accounts of owls include mentions in 17th-century reports from Mauritius, a drawing made around 1770 and a detailed description of a killed specimen from 1837. After the owls had disappeared, subfossils were found in the Mare aux Songes swamp. These remains became the basis of the new species Strix sauzieri in 1893 and two other species were later named: Scops commersoni based on the drawing and description in 1896, and Strix newtoni based on a smaller fossil in 1907.