Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Oriental Scops Owl

Otus sunia (Hodgson, 1836)

≈22 cmLength48 cmWingspan78 gWeight

This small, yellow-eyed owl may freeze with its eyes half-closed when alarmed.

Busiest months: January–February and May · Most records: India, China, Cambodia

Looks like Collared Scops Owl

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Eyes yellow
  2. Ear tufts not always raised
  3. A single whitish stripe on the scapulars
  4. Underparts clearly marked, with no pale collar

Male, female and young

No obvious differences in plumage between the sexes.

Voice

A clear, repeatedly given “tuk tok torok”.

Similar species

Collared Scops Owl
Collared Scops Owl

Oriental Scops Owl has whitish stripes on the scapulars, clearly marked underparts and no pale collar around the neck.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–February and May · Most records: India, China, Cambodia

Oriental Scops Owl has been recorded at 433 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Chidyatapu Biological ParkIndia469 records
  2. Kanha Tiger Reserve – Mukki GateIndia292 records
  3. TmatboeyCambodia283 records
More places
  1. Phutthamonthon ParkThailand157 records
  2. Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia140 records
  3. Thattekkad Bird SanctuaryIndia139 records
  4. Nanhui DongtanChina129 records
  5. Bondla Wildlife SanctuaryIndia123 records
  6. Veal Krous Vulture RestaurantCambodia112 records
  7. Maguri BeelIndia112 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaChinaCambodiaThailandSingaporeVietnamSri LankaBangladesh

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

Questions

How big is the Oriental Scops Owl?

The Oriental Scops Owl is about ≈22 cm long, with a wingspan of 48 cm and weighs around 78 g.

Where does the Oriental Scops Owl live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, Oriental: widespread, also East Asia. It is most often recorded in India, China and Cambodia.

When is the best time to see the Oriental Scops Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Oriental Scops Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Oriental Scops Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Oriental Scops Owl eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Oriental Scops Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Length
≈22 cm
Wingspan
48 cm
Weight
78 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
142 mm
Tail
62 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, Oriental: widespread, also East Asia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2
  • Otus sunia stictonotus se Siberia, ne China and Korean Pen.
  • Otus sunia malayanus s China

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Otus

Other birds in the genus Otus

Giant Scops OwlGiant Scops OwlOtus gurneyiWhite-fronted Scops OwlWhite-fronted Scops OwlOtus sagittatusReddish Scops OwlReddish Scops OwlOtus rufescensSerendib Scops OwlSerendib Scops OwlOtus thilohoffmanniSandy Scops OwlSandy Scops OwlOtus icterorhynchusSokoke Scops OwlSokoke Scops OwlOtus ireneaeAndaman Scops OwlAndaman Scops OwlOtus balliFlores Scops OwlFlores Scops OwlOtus alfrediMountain Scops OwlMountain Scops OwlOtus spilocephalusJavan Scops OwlJavan Scops OwlOtus angelinaeMindanao Scops OwlMindanao Scops OwlOtus mirusLuzon Scops OwlLuzon Scops OwlOtus longicornis
Oriental Scops Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by JJ Harrison. ↗

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