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13

Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops) Alternate name(s): "European Scops Owl", "Scops Owl*" German name(s): "Zwergohreule" Size: 19-21 cm; wing span 47-54 cm Weight: 65-135 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Scops Owls are small owls. Their plumage is highly cryptic. The two sexes look alike. Their overall appearance can range from grey to brown-grey and predominantly rufous, with streaks and light silvery-grey patches. The facial mask is grey, the edge of the mask is mottled brownish-grey and dark-grey. Also parts of the back have a brownish tinge. The very large eyes have yellow irises. The short, hooked bill is dark-grey. The feet and legs are covered with brownish-grey feathers.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Scops Owl at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the ebird.org website. The global distribution of the Eurasian Scops Owl is available HERE . Eurasian Scops Owls are a partly sedentary, partly migratory species, of which there are 6 extant races: "scops", "mallorcae", "insects", "cycladum", "pulchellus" and "turanicus". Races "insects" and "cycladum" breed in Asia Minor and the Levant, respectively, while race "pulchellus" breeds in central Asia. Their breeding range extends from parts of far-northern Africa into southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Levant and parts of south-western and central Asia. Most Eurasian Scops Owls overwiner in sub-Saharan Africa; only a minority is sedentary around the Mediterranean Sea. In Europe there are two races. Nominate race "scops" breeds in most of Europe, except Iberia, where race "mallorcae" is found. Although there are Eurasian Scops Owls in the southern half of France, the largest part of the population remains southward of the latitude of the Pyrenees and the Alps. While most birds are migratory, some stay over winter in the extreme South of Europe (southern Spain, the Balearic Islands, the southern tip of Italy and Sicily, the Peloponnes in Greece, Crete and Cyprus). Eurasian Scops Owls can be found in a variety of habitats, ranging from braodleaved to mixed open woodland up to, and sometimes above, 1500 m altitude, to well-vegetated areas influenced by humans, such as churchyards, parks or lush or neglected gardens.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "mallorcae" J. Pires found a Eurasian Scops Owl, race "mallorcae", in Tras os Montes, Portugal, in May 2018. All sighting and audio information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.

Behaviour

Eurasian Scops Owls use a stiff, erect, cryptic posture to avoid detection.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

euscowl_jp_20180529.m4a	mallorcae (Portugal)	Contact calls	© JP
euscowl_jp_20180529_2.m4a	mallorcae (Portugal)	Contact calls	© JP

More Eurasian Scops Owl sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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