Eurasian Scops-Owl

Otus scops

Calls a single mournful 'pyu' all night long across Mediterranean summers. Delivers messages by ventriloquism.

Population: roughly 795,000–1,332,000 mature individuals globally (preliminary estimate), suspected declining
Habitat: open woodland, orchards, parks, and gardens with old trees or cavities for nesting
Fun fact: Despite its small size, the Eurasian Scops-Owl's monotonous, far-carrying single-note whistling call is so similar to the mating call of midwife toads that the two are frequently confused by listeners at night.
Range: breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through southern Russia/Siberia to the western Himalayas; migratory populations winter in sub-Saharan Africa, with some resident year-round in Mediterranean Europe
Diet: large insects (crickets, moths, beetles) and other invertebrates, occasionally small vertebrates
Size: 0.2 m
Wingspan: 0.5 m
Lifespan: 10 years

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