Indian Scops-Owl
Otus bakkamoena
Silhouette: Armelle Ansart (photograph), Maxime Dahirel (digitisation) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusOtus (Scops-Owls)
- SpeciesOtus bakkamoena (Indian Scops-Owl)
About the Indian Scops-Owl
The Indian scops owl (Otus bakkamoena) is a species of owl native to South Asia. This species formerly included the collared scops owl (Otus lettia). The species epithet is derived from "bakamuna", the Sinhalese name for the eastern barn owl (Tyto javanica), and the brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis).
The Indian scops owl is a small 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in) owl, although it is one of the largest of the scops owls. Like other scops owls, it has small head tufts, or ears. The upperparts are grey or brown, depending on the morph, with faint buff spotting. The underparts are buff with fine darker streaking. The facial disc is whitish or buff, and the eyes are orange or brown. There is a buff neckband. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating.
This species is very similar to the slightly larger partially migratory collared scops owl (Otus lettia) and the oriental scops owl (Otus sunia). They can be separated on call and eye colour. The species occurs from eastern Arabia through the Indian subcontinent, except the far north. The Indian scops owl is nocturnal. Through its natural camouflage... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Indian Scops-Owl in Nagarhole National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nagarhole National Park
Oriental Scops Owl
Otus sunia
Jungle Owlet
Glaucidium radiatum
Brown Fish-Owl
Ketupa zeylonensis
Spotted Owlet
Athene brama
Mottled Wood Owl
Strix ocellata
Brown Boobook
Ninox scutulata
Brown Wood Owl
Strix leptogrammica
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl
Ketupa nipalensis
Eastern Barn Owl
Tyto javanica
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 9 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 12 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 13 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 14 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 15 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 16 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 17 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 18 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Indian Scops-Owl in Nagarhole National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Indian Scops-Owl sighting in Nagarhole National Park, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Indian Scops-Owl in Nagarhole National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Indian Scops-Owl in Nagarhole National Park in our monthly data.