The Eurasian scops owl, also known as the European scops owl or just scops owl, is a small owl. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The scientific name is from the Latin otus for an eared owl and Ancient Greek skopos 'watcher'.
The collared scops owl is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from northern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh ,the Himalayas east to south China, and Taiwan. It is partially migratory, with some birds wintering in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. This species was formerly considered to be included within what is now separated as the Indian scops owl.
Scops owls are typical owls in family Strigidae belonging to the genus Otus and are restricted to the Old World. Otus is the largest genus of owls with 57 species. Scops owls are colored in various brownish hues, sometimes with a lighter underside and/or face, which helps to camouflage them against the bark of trees. Some are polymorphic, occurring in a greyish- and a reddish-brown morph. They are small and agile, with both sexes being compact in size and shape. Female scops owls are usually larger than males.
The Indian scops owl is a resident species of owl native to South Asia.
The Philippine scops owl is a common owl, endemic to the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. Other common names include "Otus Whitehead", "Whitehead scops owl" and "Luzon lowland scops owl". Everett's scops owl and Negros scops owls were formerly considered conspecific but are now classified as subspecies of Otus megalotis.
The Karthala scops owl, also known as the Grand Comoro scops owl or Comoro scops owl, is a small, scops owl endemic to the island of Grande Comore in the Comoro Islands.
The African scops owl is a small owl which is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Siau scops owl is a critically endangered owl species, which may even be extinct. They live on Siau Island, north of Sulawesi, Indonesia and are (were) forest dwellers. The species is only known from a single holotype from 1866 although there have been some local reports in recent years. Even so, their habitat is being lost to excessive logging of the forest on the island and there would be very few if any individuals left. The taxonomic arrangement for this owl has not been fully worked out. While recognized as a distinct species by the IOC, others consider it as a subspecies of either the Sulawesi scops owl or Moluccan scops owl.
The sandy scops owl, or cinnamon scops owl, is an owl from the family Strigidae found in Africa.
The Sokoke scops owl is a highly localized species of scops owl found in lowland forests of Kenya and Tanzania. The greatest population of this species of owl is in the Cynometra-Manilkara forest, which is less than one-third of the Sokoke Forest. It is also found in the Afzelia-Cynometra forest.
The Rajah scops owl is a species of owl found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The bird is named after James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak. Based on patterns of speciation in other endemic montane bird species of the same region, it may potentially have to be split into two distinct species; if so, the name Otus brooki would be restricted to just the Bornean population.
The Javan scops owl is a small species of owl living mainly in western Java's high volcanos; local people refer to the owl as Celepuk Jawa. Like most owls, this nocturnal bird also has a strong ability of silent flight.
The Sunda scops owl is a small brown owl native to the Sunda Islands.
Wallace's scops owl lives on Sumbawa and Flores islands, in the Lesser Sundas chain of Indonesia. It is not rare in most of its habitat and has no subspecies except for the nominate. It is also known as the Lesser Sunda scops owl.
The Luzon scops owl is an owl endemic to Luzon, Philippines. There are no subspecies.
The Mantanani scops owl, is a small owl in the scops-owl genus Otus found on small islands between Borneo and the Philippines. It is listed by the IUCN as "near threatened" because its range is limited with its population being fragmented on several different islands, and its forest habitat is being degraded by ongoing logging and clearance.
The giant scops owl, lesser eagle-owl or the Mindanao eagle-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. In size and structure, it is considered intermediate between a scops owl and an eagle-owl. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Pemba scops owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Pemba Island which is part of and off the coast of Tanzania.
Everett's scops owl is an owl, endemic to the Philippines, belonging to the family of the typical owls Strigidae. Everett's scops owls feed at night on insects. They live alone or in monogamous pairs. They breed throughout the year, laying clutches of 1-2 eggs. They nest in tree hollow in forests of the Philippine lowlands. They are found on Bohol, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Mindanao and Basilan. They were formerly classified as a subspecies of the Philippine scops owl.
The Banggai scops owl is an owl found on Banggai Island and Sula Island of Indonesia.
