Oriental Scops Owl
Oriental Scops OwlOriental Scops OwlOriental Scops OwlOriental Scops Owl

Oriental Scops Owl

Otus sunia

Silhouette: Armelle Ansart (photograph), Maxime Dahirel (digitisation) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Nagarhole National Park
61 Verified sightings at Nagarhole National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,528 Verified sightings across all 26 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Oriental Scops Owl

The oriental scops owl (Otus sunia) is a scops owl species native to South and Southeast Asia. The oriental scops owl is a small, variably plumaged, yellow-eyed owl with ear-tufts which are not always erect. It can be distinguished from the collared scops owl by its whitish scapular stripe, well-marked underparts, and lack of pale collar. There are two colour morphs, grey and rufous; intermediate forms also occur. Sexes are similar in appearance. Individuals may freeze with eyes half-closed when disturbed. The species has a repeated liquid call sounding like "tuk tok torok". Adults have higher-pitched calls than juveniles.

The oriental scops owl has an extremely wide distribution across eastern and southern Asia and inhabits dry deciduous forests from Russia to Thailand. The owl nests in holes in trees, especially Mahua trees, during February to April. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Nagarhole National Park

Indian Scops-Owl
LC

Indian Scops-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Otus bakkamoena

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Jungle Owlet
LC

Jungle Owlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Glaucidium radiatum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Brown Fish-Owl
LC

Brown Fish-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ketupa zeylonensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Spotted Owlet
LC

Spotted Owlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Athene brama

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Mottled Wood Owl
LC Endemic

Mottled Wood Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Strix ocellata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Brown Boobook
LC

Brown Boobook

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ninox scutulata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Brown Wood Owl
LC

Brown Wood Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Strix leptogrammica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl

Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ketupa nipalensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Eastern Barn Owl

Eastern Barn Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Tyto javanica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
2 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
3 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
5 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
6 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
7 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
12 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
13 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
14 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
15 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
16 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
17 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
18 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
19 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
20 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
22 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
23 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
24 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
25 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
Insufficient data
26 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Oriental Scops Owl in Nagarhole National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Oriental Scops Owl sighting in Nagarhole National Park, based on 61 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Oriental Scops Owl in Nagarhole National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Oriental Scops Owl in Nagarhole National Park in our monthly data.

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