Javier Blasco-Zumeta
267 Scops Owl
Scops Owl. Adult (09-IV).
SCOPS OWL (Otus scops)
IDENTIFICATION
18-21 cm. Brown grey upperparts, streaked;
flight feathers and tail barred; rounded head
with tufts; black bluish bill and yellow eyes.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Little Owl has similar size (a bit bigger) and
yellow eyes, but has not tufts on head and
breast and underparts are spotted.
Little Owl
SEXING
Plumage of both sexes alike. Some females
can be sexed if their 8th primary is longer than
124 mm. CAUTION: shorter 8th feather can
belong to males or females.
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AGEING
3 types of age can be recognized:
Juvenile similar to adults but central tail feat-
hers are narrow and with pointed tips, with
white bars with irregular black lines around;
narrow and pointed primaries with their last
dark bar absent or little marked (the last bar is
far from the tip); inner secondaries narrow and
pointed.
2nd year spring with worn plumage; wings
and tail with juvenile pattern.
Adult with central tail feathers broad and with
rounded tips, with broader black lines around
the white bars than juveniles; primaries broad
and rounded, with distinct last dark bar, which
is narrower than the other bars; inner seconda-
ries broad and rounded.
CAUTION: described patterns no always are
evident for all birds.
MOULT
Complete postbreeding moult, starting in July
and suspended before migration to be comple-
ted in winter quarters. Partial postjuvenile
moult including body feathers and lesser and
median wing coverts; flight feathers and tail
moulted in their first postbreeding moult.
PHENOLOGY
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
STATUS IN ARAGON
Summer visitor, widely distributed throughout
the Region related to open woodlands or, if
deforested, cliffs and buildings with holes.
8ª
Scops Owl. Location of 8th primary.
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Javier Blasco-Zumeta Laboratorio Virtual Ibercaja

267 Scops Owl

Scops Owl. Head pat-

tern: top left adult (10-
IV); top right 1st year
(27-VIII); left juvenile
(09-VII).

Scops Owl. Juvenile (09-VII).

Scops Owl.
Breast pattern:
top adult (10-
IV); middle
1st year (27-
VIII); botton
juvenile (09-
VII).

Scops Owl. 1st year (27-VIII).

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Javier Blasco-Zumeta Laboratorio Virtual Ibercaja

267 Scops Owl

Scops Owl. Upperpart pattern: left adult (10-IV);

middle 1st year (27-VIII); right juvenile (09-VII).

Scops Owl. Pattern of

central tail feathers:
top left adult (10-IV);
top right 2nd year
spring (23-IV); midd-
le 1st year (27-VIII);
botton juvenile (09-
VII)

Scops Owl.
Pattern of
primaries:
from top to
botton: adult
(10-IV);
2nd year
spring (23-
IV); 1st
year (27-
VIII); juve-
nile (09-VII)

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Javier Blasco-Zumeta Laboratorio Virtual Ibercaja

267 Scops Owl

Scops Owl. Postjuvenile moult: wing of 1st year

(27-VIII).
Scops
O w l .
Pattern
of inner
seconda-
r i e s :
from top
to bot-
ton: adult
(10-IV);
2nd year
spring
(23-IV); Scops Owl. Postjuvenile moult: wing of 2nd year
1st year spring (23-IV).
( 2 7 -
VIII);
juvenile
(09-VII)

Scops Owl. Postbreeding moult: wing of adult (10-

IV).

Scops Owl. Wing of juvenile (09-VII).

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