Rodrigues Owl

The Rodrigues scops owl, also known as Rodrigues owl, Rodrigues lizard owl, Leguat's owl, or Rodrigues little owl, is an extinct species of small owl. It lived on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues before going extinct. It is part of the three Mascarene owls, formerly classified in the genus Mascarenotus, although they are now classified in the genus Otus. Like many of the Mascarene land-birds, the genus was a distinct relative to South-East Asian taxa, in this case apparently being a descendant of the direct ancestor of the Oriental scops owl. This insular scops owl had evolved gigantism, becoming twice as large and four times heavier than its continental ancestor.