Photo: Amateras7777 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Japanese Scops Owl
Otus semitorques
Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques) — Owls of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 122 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 semitorques
Where it lives
Northeastern China, Korean Pen., Ussuriland, Japan and Ryukyu Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 122 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Japanese 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 Japanese Scops Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL ne China, Korean Pen., Ussuriland, Japan and Ryukyu Is.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 122 g, with a wing length of about 17.8 cm and a tail of around 9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Japanese Scops Owl?
The Japanese Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 122 g.
Where does the Japanese Scops Owl live?
The Japanese Scops Owl is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL ne China, Korean Pen., Ussuriland, Japan and Ryukyu Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Japanese Scops Owl belong to?
The Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Japanese Scops Owl eat?
The Japanese Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Japanese Scops Owl migrate?
The Japanese Scops Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Japanese 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 Japanese Scops Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Japanese Scops Owl — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Japanese Scops Owl's range?
The Japanese Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 2 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.
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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.