Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Pallid Scops Owl
Otus brucei
Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei) — 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 Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 84.3 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 brucei
Quick facts
- Weight
- 84.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pallid Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pallid Scops Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sw, c.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 84.3 g, with a wing length of about 15.9 cm and a tail of around 7.8 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pallid Scops Owl?
The Pallid Scops Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 84.3 g.
Where does the Pallid Scops Owl live?
The Pallid Scops Owl is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sw, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pallid Scops Owl belong to?
The Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Pallid Scops Owl eat?
The Pallid Scops Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pallid Scops Owl migrate?
The Pallid Scops Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Pallid 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 Pallid Scops Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Pallid 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 Pallid Scops Owl's range?
The Pallid Scops Owl has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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
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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.