The collared scops owl was described for the very first time by Hudgson. They are said to be the largest of all scops owl species and kindred to The Indian scops Owl.
In French, it is called Petit Duc à collier and in German, it is popularly known as Halsband Zwergohreule. There are five recognized subspecies of the scops owl (Otus lettia). This bird has minimum requirements when it comes to lodging.
As long as the place contains thick woods and forests this bird can adapt well to almost any environment. It is known as the 'King of Camouflage' because it blends in beautifully amidst the branches and becomes entirely indistinguishable against any brown background.
If you are someone who loves owls check out these articles on amaze-wing facts about whiskered screech owls and flammulated owls.
Collared Scops Owl Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a collared scops owl?
The collared scops owl (Otus lettia) is a solitary nocturnal owl be the Strigidae family.
What class of animal does a collared scops owl belong to?
This bird belongs to the class Aves of Animalia Kingdom.
How many collared scops owls are there in the world?
The precise population size of this species is inconclusive.The extent of breeding or resident occurrence is estimated to be 9.2354351e+13 sq.ft (8,580,000 km2). No decline was observed in the past three generations.
Where does a collared scops owl live?
They are breeding residents in South Asia. These birds are widespread in forest areas between north Pakistan and south China, including the Himalayas. During winter, they can be spotted in wooded regions of Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
What is a collared scops owl's habitat?
This species is tolerant to a variety of environmental circumstances only in the presence of a dense forest. Their typical habitat is lush evergreen forests, woodlands, and deciduous forests. These birds are often seen roosting in yards, rooftops, and tree trunks in an upright position.
Who do collared scops owls live with?
The collared scops owl is a solitary bird that is known to live as a family only during the breeding season, after which they may be seen individually or very rarely in pairs.
How long does a giant scops owl live?
The lifespan of the Giant scops owl is not known however their generation length is 6.7 years.
How do they reproduce?
The collared scops owl species reproduce by spawning. Each clutch has three to five eggs incubated by both sexes. These white eggs are 1.3–1.4 in (3.4–3.6 cm) long and are laid in tree hollows.
While the male species fetch food during the day the females stay in the nest to safeguard the clutch. The eggs are incubated for about a month. The owlets are dependent on the parents for the next eight to 10 weeks.
What is their conservation status?
The Collared scope owl is spread across a vast range. The population of these birds throughout its range is steady. As a result, the IUCN has marked this species as Least Concern.
Collared Scops Owl Fun Facts
What do collared scops owls look like?
The facial disc is bright yellow in color, with darker concentric patterns. The feathers of this species are dark with black specks on them. The hind neck has two whitish collars. The bosom and belly are creamy browns with shaft streaks. Talons and the bill are green in color. The eyes are either orange or brown.
How cute are they?
The scops owl (Otus lettia) is as cute as a bug's ear. The dark eyes on the compact body and the debonair streaks on its wings make it even more adorable.
How do they communicate?
They communicate by hooting. The length of the hoots depends upon the nature of the call. Short loud hoots for warning and repetitive hoots for mating.
How big is a collared scops owl?
The length and tail height of the Collared scops owl is 6.3–9.8 in (16–25 cm) and 3-4 in (7.5-10 cm) respectively. It is the same size as an Indian scops owl.
How fast can a collared scops owl fly?
The actual pace at which these birds move, as well as the number of wingbeats, are yet to be determined.
How much does a collared scops owl weigh?
These creatures weigh around 0.22-0.38 lb (100-170 gm).
What are the male and female names of the species?
They do not have any sex oriented names. Both the male and female species are referred to as collared scops owls.
What would you call a baby collared scops owl?
The babies of this species have no specific names. They can be called collared scops owlets.
What do they eat?
Their diet mainly includes grasshoppers, birds, beetles, and other insects. They are occasionally seen consuming lizards, rodents, and frogs.
Are they dangerous?
The collared scops owl does not steer clear of human contact. In fact, they are primarily located near human habitats and do not pose a threat to people.
Would they make a good pet?
No, not at all. These owls are scavengers who like to hunt for prey.
Even though they have no history of violence, the likelihood of these birds attacking people is always high, because of their nature, They are nocturnal birds that are most active at night, which might cause us a lot of trouble. It is quite hard to accommodate this owl in our way of life.
Generally, it is better to keep owls in their natural habitat.
Did you know...
The most popular choice in the collared scops owl's diet is songbirds.
They never go through the pain of building their own nest instead colonize in the nests of other birds.
The owlets often indulge in fierce food tussles during which they might end up hurting or even killing their siblings.
A swarm of small birds in the woodland gang up against a collared scops owl. Simply follow the noise to find the owl.
What is the collared scops owl's call?
Every 12-14s, the bird releases a hoot which is usually a single note 'gook' or 'boou', which can last up to 15 minutes.
Are the collared scops owl and the giant scops owl the same species?
They are both Strigidae family members with the same generic name but are distinct species. They are similar species, but not the same.
The primary distinction between these two owls is their physical appearance. As the name implies, Collared scops owls are smaller than giant scops owls. The former has lighter brown colors, whilst the latter has darker brown hues. Apart from this facial disks and streaks are also different.
The giant scops owl's call, 'wuaah,' is repeated every 20s, whereas the other owl's sound, 'gook,' is repeated every 12s. Their dietary choices are just somewhat different.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these ladybird facts and ovenbird facts .
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our free printable collared scops owl coloring pages.