Ever since I heard about the presence of the scops owl in town I was waiting for the moment when I could be face to face with this fascinating animal. It finally happened.

The collared scops owl (Otus lettia) is a nocturnal bird that inhabits Southeast Asia and of course, our beloved Shenzhen. This small owl grows up to 25 cm. Its huge round eyes contain a great amount of specialized cells that provide them with impressive night vision which helps them accurately hunt their prey.

Their eyes are located in front of the face, different from other birds that more often have eyes on the sides of the head. This characteristic provides the owl with a better hunting weapon, in addition to their ability to turn their head almost entirely. When searching for prey, they don’t need to leave their position, barely producing any sound or vibration that may scare the preys away.

This beautiful animal is covered by a striking set of feathers that mixes freckled, spotted and mottled patterns in a matching palette of browns, yellows and grays. The beak is yellow and greenish; the legs are yellow; its big rounded eyes are brown and bright; and their face is delimited by a beautiful black outline.

Collared scops owls breed during the spring months and will lay clutches of up to four eggs, often times using holes in the trees as nests. They will feed their little owlets with small invertebrate animals — one of their main sources of food, although they will sometimes feed on amphibians, reptiles, mice and small birds.

Although this species is not endangered, its numbers are not really big in our city. We must do our part in preserving their natural habitats so that we can continue enjoying their presence for years to come.

2021.11.02

A collared scops owl is seen perched on a branch in Wutong Mountain in Luohu District.