The pallid scops owl (''Otus brucei'') is a small

scops owl Scops owls are typical owls in family Strigidae belonging to the genus ''Otus'' and are restricted to the Old World. ''Otus'' is the largest genus of owls with 59 species. Scops owls are colored in various brownish hues, sometimes with a lighter ...

ranging from the Middle East to west and central Asia, sometimes called the striated scops owl.

Description

The pallid scops owl is a small-eared owl similar in appearance to the

Eurasian scops owl The Eurasian scops owl (''Otus scops''), also known as the European scops owl or just scops owl, is a small owl in the typical owl family Strigidae. Its breeding range extends from southern Europe eastwards to southern Siberia and the western Hima ...

but with more distinct streaks on the back and less intricate markings.

Distribution and habitat

The pallid scops owl ranges from the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

west West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

and

central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

, with some populations migrating as far as the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and Pakistan in the winter. It inhabits semi-open country with trees and bushes and has an estimated range of during the breeding season and in the nonbreeding season. in 2015, a new population of over 400 pairs was found in the Rift Valley, Israel and in 2016 more pairs and nests were found in Jordan (east to the Jordan River), all nesting in palm plantations. There have been many records from the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in India, and a single record of this species from paddyfields in the southern state of Kerala.

Behavior

Diet

Primarily an insectivore, the pallid scops owl's diet includes insects,

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...

spiders Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species dive ...

, and small mammals. It occasionally hunts during the day, and has been known to take bats and insects on the wing.Striated Scops Owl

Nesting

Breeding takes place any time between April and June, where 4 to 6 eggs are laid in a tree cavity, such as a woodpecker hole. Incubation takes approximately 27 days, and the juveniles are fledged at 30 days.

Voice

The pallid scops owl's call is a series of low, hollow, dove-like notes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1267714

pallid scops owl The pallid scops owl (''Otus brucei'') is a small scops owl ranging from the Middle East to west and central Asia, sometimes called the striated scops owl. Description The pallid scops owl is a small-eared owl similar in appearance to the Eurasi ...

Birds of Central Asia Birds of the Middle East Birds of Afghanistan Birds of Pakistan