Japanese Scops-Owl

About the Japanese Scops-Owl

The Japanese scops-owl (Otus semitorques) is a small owl species in the family Strigidae, or true owl family. It is a member of the genus Otus, the scops owl genus. It is resident to Japan, China, Korea, and Russia. Japanese scops-owls have a grey-brown plumage, red eyes, and prominent ear tufts. They resides in forests, woodlands, and mountains. They are carnivorous, mainly feeding on invertebrates and small rodents. They nest in tree hollows and raise a small brood. Males use their vocalizations to attract mates or deter predators.

The Japanese scops-owl was first classified by Temminck and Schlegel in 1845. It is part of the family Strigidae, the true owl family, which contains 90% of all owl species. The other 10% of owls are part of the family Tytonidae, the barn owl family. The Japanese scops-owl is part of the genus Otus which is the largest genus of owls. This genus includes 59 species of scops-owls found throughout Afro-Eurasia. The genus Otus was first introduced by Thomas Pennant in 1769 with the discovery of the Indian scops-owl. The Japanese scops-owl is closely related to the Indian scops-owl (O. bakkamoena) and was once thought to be the same species. It... Wikipedia →