Eurasian Scops Owl

Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops) is a very small owl with narrow ear tufts, yellow eyes and intricately mottled grey or brown plumage. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds from southern Europe across western and central Asia, hunts mainly large insects in open woodland and orchards, nests in cavities and migrates to Africa from much of its range. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).