Specimen Showcase｜A Tiny, Agile, Nighttime Hunter
- Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
To most people the image of owls is always associated with enigmatic raptors that lurk in remote forests🌲, with few people and buildings around. In fact, there is a small, nocturnal🌙 scops owl that often frequents the outskirts of the area👀 where we live -- 𝑂𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑎 (Hodgson, 1836), commonly known as Oriental scops ✅.
The Oriental scops owl is a small raptor, growing to a length of only about 20 cm. Their distribution spans across many regions of East and South Asia, including Hong Kong, as well as some areas of Siberia and Europe🗺. While the majority of the Northern populations of Oriental scops-owls migrate, the Southern populations live there permanently. For the migrating populations,Siberia, Japan, the Korean peninsula, and northern China are temporary home to oriental scops-owls from late March to September/October🗓. Following the cessation of the breeding season, they undertake arduous long-distance migration to southern regions like Malaysia and Northern Indonesia🏕, where they seek out optimal wintering grounds.
Oriental scops owls are altricial species, which implies that until the youngs are able to survive on their own🐥, juvenile birds must be looked after by their parents👥. It is common for juvenile birds jumping off the nest during the fledging period🍃 onto the ground and climb back up the tree. They get their full flight training in this manner and complete the fledging process by repeating so. Though this would causes greater possible exposure to risks such as falling and being preyed upon🤕, such procedure will also help them become excellent and skilled hunters in the future.
Juvenile oriental scops owls can be recognised through their lighter plumage colour. When they reach adulthood💪, their plumage gradually darkens to a grey or reddish-brown colour with mottled patches of colour that closely resemble rough bark patterns. Such features provide them with excellent natural camouflage, and, when staying on a tree trunk, it allows them to blend in with the surrounding bark🍂 or foliage🌿, making them almost invisible. As a result, they can conceal from their natural enemies and surprisingly hunt🍽 their prey down.
Females and males of this species may look very similar, but show subtle reversed sexual dimorphism : the smaller size being observed in males, while females tend to be slightly larger. This is in contrast to many other bird species🔄 where males are typically larger. The male oriental scops owls, however, are still responsible for hunting outside, while the female oriental scops owls continue to take care of the young in the nest, as in other bird species. It was suggested that the smaller size in males may be advantageous for their foraging efficiency and potentially contributing to their reproductive success as smaller size may allow males to be more agile and maneuverable during flight. This agility enables them to navigate through dense vegetation and access smaller and more concealed prey. Additionally, smaller size generally implies a lower metabolic rate💡 and energy requirements🔋. This energy efficiency can thus be advantageous towards successful hunting and reproduction in environments with limited food resources or during breeding season.
The Oriental scops owl is a formidable🌌 nighttime hunter, which explains the presence of large, brilliant, and endearing yellow eyes. A scientific study has identified a positively selected gene (ALCAM) in the genetic sequence of Oriental scops, responsible for the presence of large retinas👓 dominated by rod cells, the latter being known to be highly sensitive to low light levels. This adaptation allows them to have enhanced vision in dimly lit environments, enabling them to navigate and hunt effectively🐺 during the night.
Compared to its closely related species, the Oriental scops owl appears to be better adapted to anthropogenic environments. The bright artificial lights🕯 in human settlements attract nocturnal insects🐝, which the owl actively hunts and feeds on. The potential range of the Oriental scops owl's habitat🏔 is also broader than that of its relatives, with the species choosing to inhabit multi-storey forests with high vertical and horizontal cover🏞 (formed by the regeneration of young trees as a result of anthropogenic selective logging).
You are welcome to visit the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum to learn more about these nighttime hunters and get to know Scops owls better🦉! And if you enjoy this post, please share it with friends and follow us for more amazing biodiversity stories weekly.🙌
Text: Dezer
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