Oriental Scops-Owl
Otus sunia
Smallish scops-owl with bright yellow eyes. Comes in grayish-brown and bright rufous morphs. Generally weakly marked, without any prominent features: note weak black border to the facial disc, thinly streaked underparts, and short ear tufts (often held flat). Song is a 3- to 4-note series of hollow-sounding notes, with the last two in rapid succession. Inhabits forests, gardens, and parks from lowlands up into foothills; often close to human habitation in parts of its range.
Identification
This 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.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Otus sunia
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1836)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Otus
Range and habitat
The species has an extremely wide distribution across eastern and southern Asia, and is found in dry deciduous forests from Russia to Thailand. The owl nests in holes in trees, especially Mahua trees, during February–April.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Aerodramus elaphrus
Small gray swift with a slightly paler rump and belly. Flight is fast but erratic, with the wings pushed forward. Only known nesting sites are in a few caves, but can be seen in flight over all habitats on the granitic islands of the Seychelles. The calls include high-pitched twitters and echolocation clicks. Usually easy to identify, as it is the only resident swift on the Seychelles. Vagrant swifts have longer wings and a longer, forked tail.
Ambon White-eye
Zosterops kuehni
A small songbird with a conspicuous white eye-ring, a green face and upperparts, a bright yellow throat, a white belly, and a yellow base to the undertail. Pairs and small groups occur in the lowlands in forest, edge, sparsely wooded areas, and gardens. Restricted to Ambon, except for a few records from Seram. Separated from Warbling and Lemon-bellied White-eyes by its white belly, and from Seram White-eye by its green face and forecrown. Song comprises a rapid, pleasant warble. Also gives penetrating “tzew” notes.
Long-toed Lapwing
Vanellus crassirostris
Large, long-legged upland shorebird. Boldly marked with a white face and throat framed by a black nape and breast band. In the southern part of the range, the wing is mostly white with a black patch at the tip; in the north, the wing is half black and half white. Usually found singly or in pairs. Core habitat is wetlands with floating vegetation, but can sometimes be found in other wetland habitats like mudflats. The call is a long, dry series of high-pitched ticking notes. A distinctive species that is unlikely to be confused.
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