ID Keys: Small ear tufts, grey or brown upperparts, light underparts
with dark streaking, orangish or brown eyes
The
Oriental Scops Owl is a bird of southern Asia. In North America, they are
only known from two sightings in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
Habitat
Found in deciduous and mixed forest, and less often in evergreen forest. They can also be found in suburban settings such as parks or forested residential areas.
Diet
Mostly feeds on insects and spiders, but they will also take small vertebrates such as small rodents and birds.
Behavior
Solitary when hunting, foraging in open areas such as forest clearings or forest edges. They observe from a perch, and when prey is spotted, they swoop out to snag it with their talons.
Nesting
Nests in a tree cavity, or in a protected space in a man-made structure. The female lays between 3 and 6 eggs.
Song
Males have a distinctive, slow, ug....chug...chug
Migration
Northern populations are migratory, with birds in Russia, North China, and Japan moving to southeastern Asia for the winter. They are permanent residents in the southern part of their range.
Interactive eBird map
Click here to access an interactive map of Oriental Scops Owl sightings
Similar Species
Should any again stray to North America, most likely to be confused with Western Screech Owl.
Conservation Status
Populations appear to be stable, and they are found over a very wide geographic area. The IUCN currently lists the Oriental Scops Owl as a species of "Least Concern".
Photo Information
Photo by "Naturelly" - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license .
