Photo: Ian Dugdale / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mountain Scops Owl
Otus spilocephalus
Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 67.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Otus
- Species spilocephalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 67.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mountain Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Mountain Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 67.5 g, with a wing length of about 14 cm and a tail of around 7.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mountain Scops Owl?
The Mountain Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 67.5 g.
Where does the Mountain Scops Owl live?
The Mountain Scops Owl is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mountain Scops Owl belong to?
The Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Mountain Scops Owl eat?
The Mountain Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mountain Scops Owl migrate?
The Mountain Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mountain Scops Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Mountain Scops Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Mountain Scops Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mountain Scops Owl's range?
The Mountain Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 3.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Strigidae
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Owls
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.