Typical Owls (Strigidae)

Andaman Scops-owl (Otus balli) - HBW 5, p. 154

French: Petit-duc des Andaman German: Andamaneule Spanish: Autillo de Andamán

Taxonomy: Ephialtes Balli Hume, 1873, South Andaman Island.
Probably forms superspecies with O. alfredi and O. spilocephalus. Has been considered conspecific with African O. icterorhynchus on basis of morphology, but significant differences in plumage and vocal characters indicate that the two are better treated as separate species. Some authors have included Sumatran form “stresemanni” of O. spilocephalus as race of present species, or with the two forming a superspecies. Monotypic.

Distribution: Andaman Is.