Are they endangered?
No, they are not endangered worldwide. (IUCN Red list: Least
concern)
What are their
past/present problems? They
have current problems.
What do they look
like?
They are a very small, brown or gray owl with beige streaks.
There are different colored Oriental Scops-owls. They look a
lot like tree bark which helps to camouflage them.
How big are they?
These owls are about 8 inches long. If they spread out their
wings, they would be about 1 ½ feet wide.
How many eggs do they
lay?
The female lays between 4 and 6 white eggs once a year. The
eggs hatch in 4 weeks.
How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
They lay eggs in a small tree hole. They don’t actually build
nests. The young birds (fledglings) leave the nest in 3-4
weeks.
When do they hunt?
They hunt at night. (nocturnal)
What do they eat?
Mostly these owls like to eat insects but they will also eat
MICE, lizards, and small birds.
Where do they live?
They live in the United States, Sri Lanka, Japan, and parts of
Asia.
What kind of place do
they like to live in?
These owls like to live in leafy (deciduous) forests by rivers.
Interesting facts:
When they are in danger, these owls will raise their ear
tufts, stand very still, and close their eyes. They
blend into the tree that way.
This kind of owl likes to be by itself and not in
groups.
Works Cited:
Alderfer, Jonathan. Complete Birds of North America.
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2006.
Alsop, Fred. Birds of North America. New York: DK
Publishing, 2001.
