FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
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For centuries owls have always generated great interest, evoking magic and mystery. The Japanese scops owl is no exception. Living only in the region of Japan, in Japanese culture, owls symbolize good luck and fortune. With a deep intense gaze and a nocturnal nature, like most owls, they really are a beautiful species. They form part of the Strigidae family of which there are many owl varieties. They are also one of the smaller types of owls, but don't let that deceive you as they are excellent nighttime hunters.
If you are looking for facts about Japanese scops owls' behavior on how they live, breed, and nest, check out our fact file here for all you need to know about this magnificent owl. What's more, if you are looking for fact files about other owls, do take a look at the tawny owl and barn owl to see how they compare!
The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) is a bird belonging to the genus Otus. There are 57 types of scops owls.
The Japanese scops owl belongs to the Aves bird identification class of the animal kingdom. They form part of the Strigidae family and belong to the Otus genus.
The exact population of this species is not known.
The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) lives in the woodland and is found across Japan.
The typical Japanese scops owl habitat includes mostly woodland and forest areas with plenty of trees.
These birds are mostly independent and solitary creatures. They do not form flocks but, over the breeding season, these birds do form breeding pairs which they keep throughout the season. There many types of owls in Japan, including the Ryukyu scops owl and Blakiston's fish owl.
The exact age of this species is not known but on average, most scops owls live for 12 years in the wild.
These birds are monogamous throughout the breeding season. Males prepare the nests and often pick nests discarded by other birds. The male Japanese scops owl audio call lures females to this nest and females then judge the male based on their nest-building skills and the food inside the nests. After fertilization, a female will lays eggs and incubates them for around three to four weeks. During this period a male brings food to females while they incubate their eggs in the nest.
A Japanese scops owl baby is born naked, with minimal down feathers. Over the weeks they grow and they can fly at around four to six weeks. Females generally only lay one batch of eggs, known as a clutch, per season, unless their eggs are destroyed. They are resident breeders within Japan and do not migrate to breed.
According to BirdLife International, these owls do not fall into the category of vulnerable populations of species. In Japan where they originate, a range of conservation work is being undertaken to continue supporting populations of this bird species.
Many people confuse identification of these owls with the slightly smaller collared scops owl (Otus bakkamoena). The Japanese scops owl is mostly a brownish-gray bird with pronounced ear tufts, a paler face, and intense red eyes. They have green feet and a greenish bill.
With tufted ears and a deep intense gaze, these owlets are certainly very cute. As they get bigger and more predatory, they are perhaps not quite such cute birds.
The Japanese scops owl call is exceptionally varied, they screech and meow, hoot, and chatter. The screeching sounds they make can range from mild sounds to aggressive shrieks to warn off predators.
The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) is 6.5 - 12 in (16.5 - 30 cm). As with most of the Strigidae owl species, they are a small size for owls and very similar size to the Indian scops owl (Otus bakkamoena).
The speed of a Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) isn't known, however, members of the Strigidae family can reach speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph).
The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) weighs approximately 7 oz (200 g), with females of the species weighing slightly less.
The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) does not have a particular term for male and female birds of the species.
A baby Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) is known as an owlet. This is the same term for all baby birds in the owl family.
These birds eat a range of insects. They also search for small lizards, mice, bats, aquatic insects, and flying insects. They are nocturnal and search around their habitat during the night. You are more likely to hear one of these birds in Japan before seeing one of the birds of this species.
As with most birds, they are not poisonous birds. However, the typical Japanese scops owl behavior means that it can be very territorial and protective of its young. It is best to stay well away from them during the breeding season.
Despite being a small bird, it's not advised to keep this owl species as a pet. Although some owls are kept in captivity, it's best left to experts. In fact, in many regions of the world is illegal to keep a pet owl.
Many people wonder what the difference is between the northern white-faced owl and the Japanese scops owl. The white-faced owl, formerly known as the white-faced scops owl, is found in a band of land across the African Sahara and has a unique ability to change size. When it is faced with a larger predator, it can extend its wingspan to look bigger. It can also change its eyes to imitate the slits of an eagle's eye. This is also a camouflage survival strategy.
The Japanese scops owl's name originates from the locations in which it is found in Japan. 'Scops' comes from the original Latin genus name of this small bird species. The 'Otus' part of the scientific name means 'eared owl' in Greek.
Japanese scops owl population numbers are currently stable according to BirdLife International. They are also rated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. In fact, their numbers are increasing, making Japanese scops owls common in Japan. If you are looking to find the Japanese scops owl in Hokkaido in Japan, you will find that many people in Hokkaido are placing nesting boxes to encourage breeding among this bird species! Their close cousin, the Philippines scops owls, are also found to be ranked as Least Concern but they are vulnerable to habitat destruction.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our mockingbird facts and ovenbird facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Japanese scops owl coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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