Japanese Scops Owl

Otus semitorques Temminck & Schlegel, 1845

≈28 cmLength60–66 cmWingspan122 gWeight

Its gray-brown feathers resemble bark, and prominent ear tufts stand upright on its head.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: China, Japan, South Korea

Looks like Collared Scops Owl

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Ear tufts well developed, facial disc poorly defined
Collar patch on the nape
Back gray-brown, belly grayish-white with mixed markings

Voice

The male gives repeated low “whook” calls at varying intervals.

Similar species

Collared Scops Owl

Japanese Scops Owl is larger and has less white in its plumage than Collared Scops Owl.

Where and when it's recorded

Japanese Scops Owl has been recorded at 32 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Niigata – Nishikaigan ParkJapan44 records
Xiaolongmen National Forest ParkChina20 records
Tangjiahe NNRChina11 records

More places

Nanhui DongtanChina11 records
Seoul – ChanggyeonggungSouth Korea8 records
Amami – Tatsugo – Amami Nature ForestJapan7 records
Dongzhai NNRChina6 records
Urqihan [General Area]China5 records
Temple of HeavenChina5 records
Wajima – Hegurajima (island)Japan4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Japan South Korea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Japanese scops-owl (Otus semitorques) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Japanese Scops Owl?

The Japanese Scops Owl is about ≈28 cm long, with a wingspan of 60–66 cm and weighs around 122 g.

Where does the Japanese Scops Owl live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northeastern China, Korean Peninsula, Ussuriland, Japan and Ryukyu Islands. It is most often recorded in China, Japan and South Korea.