Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Indian Scops Owl
Otus bakkamoena
Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) — Owls of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 138 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 bakkamoena
Where it lives
Southern Pakistan, central, southern India and Sri Lanka
Quick facts
- Weight
- 138 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Indian 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 Indian Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR s Pakistan, c, s India and Sri Lanka.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 138 g, with a wing length of about 14.6 cm and a tail of around 7.5 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 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Indian Scops Owl?
The Indian Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 138 g.
Where does the Indian Scops Owl live?
The Indian Scops Owl is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR s Pakistan, c, s India and Sri Lanka, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Indian Scops Owl belong to?
The Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Indian Scops Owl eat?
The Indian Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Indian Scops Owl migrate?
The Indian Scops Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Indian 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 Indian Scops Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Indian 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 Indian Scops Owl's range?
The Indian Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 2.9 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.