Scops Owl

The Scops Owl is a fairly abundant resident breeding species well suited to the Island and it can be seen almost anywhere.

For many years the bird has been sighted in the scrubland surrounding the Pollensa Park Hotel and also near to the Guardia police station. Other frequent sightings are the Arta mountains, Cap Blanc and the Cuber Reservoir.

Technical description

Scops owls are Strigidae (typical owls) mostly belonging to the genus Otus. Approximately 45 living species are known, but new ones are frequently recognized and unknown ones are still being discovered. As usual for owls, female Scops owls are usually larger than the males of their species, with owls of both sexes being compact in size and shape. All of the birds in this genus are small and agile. Scops owls are coloured in various brownish hues, sometimes with a lighter underside and/or face, which helps to camouflage them against the bark of trees. Some are polymorphic, occurring in a greyish and a reddish-brown morph. Scops owls hunt from perches in semi-open landscapes. They prefer areas which contain old trees with hollows; these are home to their prey which includes insects, reptiles, small mammals such as bats and mice and other small birds. The owls will also eat earthworms, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates.