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).
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) [XC209495]
by Ankit Vikrant from Nilambur, Malappuram, Kerala, India (call)
Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) [XC311405]
by Ross Gallardy from Tissamaharama area, Sri Lanka (call)
Subspecies
Probably forms superspecies with Mentawai Scops-Owl (Otus mentawi), Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lettia), Sunda Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji), Japanese Scops-Owl (Otus semitorques), Palawan Scops-Owl (Otus fuliginosus) and Luzon Lowland Scops-Owl (Otus megalotis). Taxonomy complex and controversial, with various treatments by different authors. Often considered to include one, or several, or all of above-mentioned species as subspecies. Sometimes regarded as conspecific with Sunda Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji) or as monotypic, with all other currently recognized subspecies placed with Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lettia). Boundaries between all taxa poorly understood. Present treatment based mainly on vocalizations.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
plumipes (Hume, 1870) - Western Himalayas, from northern Pakistan east to Nepal border.
deserticolor Ticehurst, 1922 - Southern Pakistan; possibly south-eastern Iran; old record from Oman probably erroneous.
gangeticus Ticehurst, 1922 - North-western India to lowland Nepal.
marathae Ticehurst, 1922 - Central India, east to about southern West Bengal.
bakkamoena Pennant, 1769 - South-western and south-eastern India and Sri Lanka.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet