Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lettia)

Other Names (World)
Collared Scops-Owl, Indian Scops-owl(!), Collared Scops Owl

Family
Strigidae (Typical Owls)

Size
23 - 25 cm

First Described (Guide)
Pennant, 1769

Habitat
From lowlands to low mountains. Farmland, tree lined streets, parks, woodland edges and forests.

Range (Guide)

Bangladesh (B), Bhutan (B), Brunei Darussalam (B), Cambodia (B), China (mainland) (B), Hong Kong (China) (B), India (B), Indonesia (B), Japan (B), Laos (B), Malaysia (B), Myanmar (B), Nepal (B), North Korea (B), Pakistan (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Singapore (B), South Korea (B), Sri Lanka (B), Taiwan (China) (B), Thailand (B), Vietnam (B).

Unknown to Iran [Islamic Republic of] (E).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Crepuscular, nocturnal.

Food
Terrestrial insects, reptiles, small mammals and occasionally birds.

Voice
A quiet 'goog gook'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (141)...)

Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia) [XC658610]
by Dhyey Shah from Yongchang Elementary School, Taiwan (begging call, call)

Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia) [XC530544]
by Alain Verneau from latpanchar, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India (call)

Subspecies
Probably forms superspecies with Mentawai Scops-Owl (Otus mentawi), Indian Scops-Owl (Otus bakkamoena), Sunda Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji), Japanese Scops-Owl (Otus semitorques), Palawan Scops-Owl (Otus fuliginosus) and Luzon Lowland Scops-Owl (Otus megalotis). Previously considered a subspecies of Indian Scops-Owl (Otus bakkamoena), including under synonyms manipurensis and alboniger, a treatment still preferred by many authors, and may intergrade with that species in Nepal. Also, considered by some conspecific with Sunda Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji). Differences in vocalizations, however, suggest specific status. Position of subspecies ussuriensis unclear, but plumage features, eye colour and vocalizations close to Japanese Scops-Owl (Otus semitorques) and possibly better placed with latter. Indochinese population, tentatively included in nominate, may be closer to erythrocampe.

Proposed subspecies aurorae from northern China included in ussuriensis.

The following 6 subspecies are recognised:

lettia Pennant, 1769 - Eastern Nepal, eastern India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh, east to Assam, Myanmar, Thailand (except southern peninsula) and Indochina.
erythrocampe (Swinhoe, 1874) - South-eastern China.
ussuriensis (Buturlin, 1910) - Sakhalin, Ussuriland and north-eastern China.
glabripes (Swinhoe, 1870) - Taiwan.
umbratilis (Swinhoe, 1870) - Hainan I.
plumipes (Hume, 1870) - Western Himalayas, from northern Pakistan east to Nepal border.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lettia) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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