Name
Scops Owl
Appearance
The Scops Owl have a striking and iconic white face that is surrounded by a black ring and markings. They have very iconic ear tufts, large orange eyes, and black and brown tufts of feathers paired with grey to give a dirty snowy look.
Diet
The Scops Owl, like many other small owls, is an insectivore that feeds on small insects like cicadas, grasshoppers and other small insects though they have also been known to feed on small birds, rodents and other small sized mammals. The prey of the Scops Owl can often be larger than themselves and hunt by diving from their high perches and dropping down on their prey.
Breeding
The Scops Owl has varied breeding seasons, depending on where they can be found. In Zimbabwe, they breed from August to November while further down they only breed between July and February. Scops Owls often find abandoned nests to lay their eggs in and even build nests in tree hallows and even on the ground. Each nest holds 2-4 shiny white eggs. The eggs hatch after 30 days and the chicks are able to fly at 4 weeks after hatching.
Behaviour
These birds are generally solitary animals and when disturbed during the day, they will elongate their bodies and lean sideways to make their bodies look like branches. This is a clever defense trick as their feathers can blend in easily with the trees and branches.
Habitat
These birds prefer scrub and bush areas in the Sub-Sahara areas of South Africa. Any area that has dense tree and forested areas are perfect for Scops Owls.
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