The Eurasian scops owl, also known as the European scops owl, common scops owl or just scops owl, is a small owl in the typical owl family Strigidae. Its breeding range extends from southern Europe eastwards to southern Siberia and the western Himalayas. It is migratory, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara.
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 southern 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 59 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 Japanese scops-owl is a small owl species in the family Strigidae, or true owl family. It is a member of the genus Otus, the scops owl genus. It is resident to Japan, China, Korea, and Russia.
The Philippine scops owl, also Luzon lowland 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 separate species.
The Karthala scops owl, also known as the Grand Comore scops owl or Comoro scops owl, is a small scops owl endemic to the island of Grande Comore in the Comoro Islands.
The Andaman scops owl is a species of the Strigidae family and is native to the Andaman Islands of India. It is a largely brown owl with white speckles and yellow eyes. The owl was first described in 1873 by British Ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume. The Andaman Scops Owl has no sightings outside of the Andaman Islands, therefore research on this bird is limited. This owl is not threatened, though an increase in deforestation on the islands has led to the population size slowly declining. It is a nocturnal owl that feeds at night and has a nesting season from February to April.
The Flores scops owl is an owl endemic to the island of Flores, Indonesia. It is threatened by habitat loss. This owl is around 19–21 cm from head to tail. They are a forest dwelling owl that is smallish in size. Some 250–2,499 individuals are estimated to be extant in the wild, dwindling due to habitat loss.
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 brookii would be restricted to just the Bornean population.
The Javan scops owl is a small species of owl living mainly on 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.
The Luzon scops owl or the Luzon highland scops owl is a species of scops owl endemic to Luzon, Philippines. Not to be confused with the Philippine scops owl, sometimes referred to as the Luzon lowland scops owl, which is a more common species that shares the same range. The Luzon scops owl, however, is smaller and inhabits higher altitudes than its lowland relative.
The Sangihe scops owl is an owl species endemic to the Sangihe Island of Indonesia.
The São Tomé scops owl is a species of owl in the true owl family, Strigidae. It is endemic to São Tomé Island, part of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.
The Mayotte scops owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the island of Mayotte in the Comoros.
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.
The Madagascar scops owl, also known as the Malagasy scops owl or Rainforest scops owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found throughout Madagascar, now that it has recently been lumped with the Torotoroka scops owl, with which it was long considered a separate species from. The nominate O. r. rutilus is referred to as Rainforest scops owl.
The Lesser Sundas deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and Alor, along with the many adjacent smaller islands.
The Rinjani scops owl is a species of scops owl found only on Lombok in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia and its neighbouring Gili Islands. The only bird species endemic to the island, it was first recognized as a separate species in September 2003 and was formally described in 2013.
