The Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) is the most recently discovered bird of Sri Lanka.

It was originally located by its unfamiliar poo-ooo call in the Kitulgala rainforest by prominent Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda.

Like most owls, it is strictly nocturnal and hunts insects (e.g. beetles and moths) close to the ground.

The general colour of this 16.5 cm (6.5 in) long, short-tailed owl is reddish-brown with paler underparts, spotted all over with fine black markings.

The irides are tawny yellow (more orangish in male) and the feet are a pale fleshy colour.