This species was rediscovered along a wadi with scattered trees, surrounded by cliffs and steep mountain slopes, in the foothills of the Al Hajar mountains, and presumably requires cliffs for nesting (Robb et al. 2013).

When Hume described Strix butleri in 1878, he used a type specimen from the Mekran coast of southwestern Pakistan. When an owl with unknown vocalisations and a plumage different from the prevailing concept of  S butleri was discovered in 2013 in northern Oman, it was initially described as a new species, S. omanensis (Robb et al. 2013). Soon afterwards, however, Kirwan et al. (2015) showed that all specimens of ‘butleri’ other than the type specimen were in fact a distinct and previously undescribed species, which they named S. hadorami. The owl discovered in northern Oman subsequently prove to be a genetic match for S. butleri sensu strictu (Robb et al. 2016).

In Oman the species has so far only been found in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, in the central part of the Al Hajar mountains (Robb et al. 2013). Following this discovery there followed the subsequent publication of a putative record c.33 km away dating from 2008 (van Eijk 2013). In the vicinity of the original discovery site in Oman, six or seven individuals have been found, including at least two pairs, along a c.4 km stretch of wadi (Robb et al. 2013). Given that similar habitat exists in other unsurveyed wadis near the original rediscovery site, it is thought likely that the species will be found elsewhere in the Al Hajar mountains. A preliminary survey in 2015, mostly in the northern part of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, detected a minimum of 15 territories (van Eijk 2013, Robb et al. 2013, Robb et al. 2015). Further surveys have since found an additional two territories, including one in a wadi in the southern part of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, taking the minimum number of territories to 17 (M. Robb in litt. 2020). 

All known territories in Oman are in precipitous terrain with massive cliffs, more than 400 m above sea level. However, two males were subsequently detected in Wadi Wurayah National Park, Fujaira, United Arab Emirates, an area with much smaller cliffs, 150-350 m above sea level (Judas et al. 2015; M. Robb in litt. 2020).

The species has also been photographed in four provinces of Iran: Bushehr in the south-west, Hormozgan in the south, Khorasan-e Razavi in the north-east and Yazd in the centre (Musavi et al. 2016, S.B. Musavi in litt. to M. Robb in litt. 2016; A Khaleghizadeh in litt. to M. Robb 2016). The species has also been recorded at Taft, the Bafgh Protected Area near Yazd, and near Bandar Abbas (A. Alieslam in litt. 2021), and in Khuzestan province (M. Blair in litt. 2021). It remains unknown whether the species still occurs in Pakistan. Given the scatter of records across an area spanning 1,450 km, it seems likely that the population size is considerably greater than current knowledge suggests. 

The species’s habitat preference and vocal behaviour render it very difficult to detect, and for now, the population size remains a matter of speculation (Robb et al. 2013; M. Robb in litt. 2020).

Conservation Actions Underway
The species's known range in the United Arab Emirates is protected within a national park (Judas et al. 2015).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out further surveys to search for more populations and assess the total population size. Conduct research into the species's ecology and habitat requirements. Study potential threats to the species.