Collared Scops Owl

Facts about Collared Scops Owl. The Collared Scops Owl is a widespread Asian species of scops owl. "Scientific name for Collared Scops Owl is Otus lettia". Its range has actually reduced over time as what was considered the Collared Scops Owl has been broken into several related species.

The Collared Scops Owl species was first identified by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836. There are five identified subspecies: Otus lettia lettia, Otus lettia erythrocampe, Otus lettia glabripes, Otus lettia umbratilis and Otus lettia plumipes.
It is considered a typical owl, being a member of the Strigidae family.

Physical Description of Collared Scops Owl

The Collared Scops Owl is a light brown and grey bird. The facial disk is off-white or buff and rimmed in black. The Collared Scops Owl's upper parts are light beige and brown mottled by black and darker brown; the coloring of the upperparts varies between subspecies. The scrapulars are light brown. Collared Scops Owls have two lighter collars on the back of the neck. Males and females have similar coloring.
The Collared Scops Owl's eyes are dark brown. The Collared Scops Owl has long, spotted ear tufts. They have rounded wings.
The Collared Scops Owl has an off-green bill. The tip is actually lighter than the rest of the bill. The Collared Scops Owl have feathered tarsi. Their toes are grey to olive brown, and the claws are the same color.
Like many scops owls, brown-grey and red-tinted (rufous) versions exist.
They are nine to ten inches tall. This species is the largest of the scops owls. They weigh three and a half to six ounces. Females are heavier than the males. (This is standard for scops owls.)

Behavior of Collared Scops Owl

The Collared Scops Owl is strictly nocturnal. It roosts among the branches in the shade of dense leaves.
The Collared Scops Owl emits a single hoot repeated every few seconds.
The Collared Scops Owl is primarily an insectivore. The Collared Scops Owl eats lizards, grasshoppers and centipedes. The Collared Scops Owl will eat small invertebrates, smaller birds and mice. Small birds will mob it if they find it in a tree.
The Collared Scops Owl lays its eggs between February and May in natural tree holes or dead stumps, though it prefers to build nests at least six feet off the ground. They lay three to five eggs at a time.
Some members of the species migrate, wintering in India and Malaysia.

Habitat of Collared Scops Owl

The Collared Scops Owl lives in forests, scrub lands and bamboo stands. The Collared Scops Owl is sometimes found in agricultural land and inhabited towns. It is found in elevations up to 7,000 feet.

Range of Collared Scops Owl

This bird’s primary range is across mainland China, Taiwan and Hainan. It is found in Burma, Bengal and Thailand. Its range stretches west in a narrow strip along the lowlands of the Himalayas to Nepal.
Otus lettia Glabripes is found on Taiwan. Otus lettia lettia is found in Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Otus lettia is found around Hong Kong and Guangzhou in China.

Trivia of Collared Scops Owl

The western part of its range is to the north of the Indian scops owl, species name Otus bakkamoena. That species used to be considered part of the Collared Scops Owl.
The Collared Scops Owl species looks similar to the Oriental scops owl, which was originally considered part of the same species. The Oriental scops owl has been given the scientific name Otus Sunia. The biggest difference between the species is their calls.