Oriental Scops Owl

This species is defined as a rarity. Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page.

Scientific Name: Otus sunia
Malay Name: Jampuk Kecil Asia
Chinese Name: 红角鸮

Range:
Found from northeastern Pakistan to the Indian subcontinent, China, southeastern Siberia, Japan, Korea and Indochina with the northern populations wintering south to the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Sumatra

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: japonicus, stictonotus, malayanus, sunia, distans, rufipennis, leggei, modestus, nicobaricus.

Local Subspecies: malayanus

Size: 19 cm

Identification:
Adult greyish morph resembles Sunda Scops Owl but is smaller and has greyish-brown upperparts and head, bold dark streaks on whitish underparts, yellowish eyes and blackish bill. Adult rufous morph resembles greyish morph but has orange-rufous upperparts and head.

Similar looking species: Sunda Scops Owl

Habitat: Forest, forest edge, secondary growth, wooded areas, parks and gardens.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds mainly on insects and spiders.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)

Past accepted records in our database: (not a complete listing)

Photos:

Greyish morph Oriental Scops Owl at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Lawrence Cher
Greyish morph Oriental Scops Owl at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Raymond Siew
Greyish morph Oriental Scops Owl at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Greyish morph Oriental Scops Owl at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai
Rufous morph Oriental Scops Owl at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Rufous morph Oriental Scops Owl at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Oriental Scops-Owl)

References:
BirdLife International. (2021). Otus sunia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22728969A206482277.en. Accessed on 19 December 2021

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.