Collared Scops Owl
Encyclopedia
The Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia) is an owl
which is a resident breeder in south Asia from northern Pakistan
, northern India
and the Himalayas
east to south China
. It is partially migratory
, with some birds wintering in India
, Sri Lanka
and Malaysia. This species was formerly considered to be included within what is now separated as the Indian Scops Owl
(Otus bakkamoena).
This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owl
s, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owl
s, Tytonidae.
The Collared Scops Owl is a common breeding bird in forests and other well-wooded areas. It nests in a hole in a tree, laying 3-5 eggs
.
The Collared Scops Owl is a small (23–25 cm) owl, although it is the largest of the scops owl
s. Like other scops owls, it has small head tufts, or ears. The upperparts are grey or brown, depending on the subspecies
, with faint buff spotting. The underparts are buff with fine darker streaking.
The facial disc is whitish or buff, and the eyes are orange or brown. There is a buff neckband. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating.
This species is nocturnal but it can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is roosting in a tree. It feeds mainly on insect
s. The call is a quiet goog gook.
This species is chiefly found in northern India and is replaced by the very similar looking Oriental Scops Owl
Otus sunia (recently split) towards the south of its range. It is very similar also to the slightly smaller Indian Scops Owl
, O. bakkamoena. They are most easily separated in the field by their calls.
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
which is a resident breeder in south Asia from northern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
east to south China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is partially migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, with some birds wintering in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Malaysia. This species was formerly considered to be included within what is now separated as the Indian Scops Owl
Indian Scops Owl
The Indian Scops Owl is a resident species of owl found in south Asia from eastern Arabia through India, except the far north, and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia. This species formerly included what has been split out as the Collared Scops Owl...
(Otus bakkamoena).
This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owl
Typical owl
True owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...
s, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s, Tytonidae.
The Collared Scops Owl is a common breeding bird in forests and other well-wooded areas. It nests in a hole in a tree, laying 3-5 eggs
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
.
The Collared Scops Owl is a small (23–25 cm) owl, although it is the largest of the scops owl
Scops owl
Scops owls are Strigidae belong to the genus Otus. Approximately 45 living species are known, but new ones are frequently recognized and unknown ones are still being discovered every few years or so, especially in Indonesia...
s. Like other scops owls, it has small head tufts, or ears. The upperparts are grey or brown, depending on the subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, with faint buff spotting. The underparts are buff with fine darker streaking.
The facial disc is whitish or buff, and the eyes are orange or brown. There is a buff neckband. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating.
This species is nocturnal but it can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is roosting in a tree. It feeds mainly on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. The call is a quiet goog gook.
This species is chiefly found in northern India and is replaced by the very similar looking Oriental Scops Owl
Oriental Scops Owl
The Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia is a species of Scops owl found in South Asia. They are found in dry deciduous forests. They are usually detected by their distinctive call. There have been 2 records of Oriental Scops Owl in Alaska....
Otus sunia (recently split) towards the south of its range. It is very similar also to the slightly smaller Indian Scops Owl
Indian Scops Owl
The Indian Scops Owl is a resident species of owl found in south Asia from eastern Arabia through India, except the far north, and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia. This species formerly included what has been split out as the Collared Scops Owl...
, O. bakkamoena. They are most easily separated in the field by their calls.