Meet the ‘ghost of the trees’: the Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia), a medium-sized owl with a pale face, large ear tufts, and a pale ‘collar’ on the back of its neck. In Malaysia, it is known as ‘Jampuk Biasa’. Its brownish-grey plumage is uniquely patterned to mimic tree bark, making it nearly invisible when roosting on tree branches. This incredible camouflage is a crucial defence mechanism that keeps the owl safe from predators during the daytime, when it is at its greatest risk (Desk, n.d.).
This species is widely distributed across East and Southeast Asia, extending from northern Pakistan through the Himalayas to southern China and Taiwan, and southward through the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Singapore (Howard & Moore, 1984). It is partially migratory, with some individuals wintering in warmer regions such as India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
The Collared Scops Owl is primarily a nocturnal bird, spending its days resting in deep foliage before emerging at night to hunt (Lewis, n.d.). It is a skilled hunter, using a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy, and relies on its razor-sharp hearing and vision to locate prey. Dinner consists mainly of insects (e.g. beetles, grasshoppers) and other small creatures, from earthworms, lizards, frog and mice to bats and small birds (König et al., 1999).
This adaptable owl inhabits various habitats, including dry evergreen, evergreen and hill evergreen forests, grasslands, fruit orchards, and even urban parks and gardens. The breeding season runs from February to April. A female owl typically lays 3–5 eggs in tree hollows or abandoned woodpecker holes, often 2-5 m above ground. One egg is deposited every one to two days, causing chicks from the same nest to differ in size, thanks to the incubation that begins from the first egg laid (Khobkhet, 1999). The young are semi-altricial when they hatch, which means they are partly developed but still require parental care, with their eyes closed and their bodies covered in natal down (Leadprathom et al., 2009).
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species has been reported to be widespread and locally common (Del Hoyo et al., 1999). Unfortunately, in certain Asian countries, some people still consider owls as symbols of evil. In Thailand, seeing or hearing an owl is often regarded as a bad omen, leading some people to kill them, steal their eggs, use pesticides, or set traps near nests. In addition, habitat loss caused by urban development and deforestation also poses a major threat to owl populations (Leadprathom et al., 2009). Thankfully, the Collared Scops Owl is currently listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its wide distribution and adaptability.
