Strigiformes / Strigidae / Otus
Mountain Scops Owl
Otus spilocephalus · 黄嘴角鸮
Introduction
A species of owl in the family Strigidae. Its range extends across the Himalayas, southern China, Indochina and mountains of western Malesia. It is an altitudinal migrant.
Description
The nominate subspecies of the eastern Himalayas has a distinct more russet plumage.
Distribution & Habitat
Range extends across the Himalayas, southern China, Indochina and mountains of western Malesia, including Bhutan, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Taiwan, and Thailand. It is an altitudinal migrant.
Behavior & Ecology
Has a short high-pitched call sounding like a two-note whistle, "plew-plew" or "he-he". Female songs are rarely heard. Calls vary between different populations, allowing determination of a bird's origin.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Otus
Vocalizations
Subspecies (8)
-
Otus spilocephalus hambroecki
Taiwan
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
