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Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops)
Reference photo: Mike Duchstein / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Birds

Eurasian Scops Owl

Otus scops · Ciuș

A tiny migratory owl of orchards, groves and old gardens, heard far more often than seen on summer nights.

At a glance

Status in Romania
Summer visitor
Habitat
Forest / Urban
Activity
Evening · Night
Diet
Insects and other small prey hunted at night.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Photography difficulty
Difficult

Photograph this species

Best months
April, May, June, July, August
Best time / activity
Evening · Night
Photography difficulty
Difficult
Where to look
Listen for the rhythmic call on calm nights from April to August in orchards and old gardens.

Months confirmed by a Romanian source. General guidance, not local sightings.

Plan an outing

Photography Guide

Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.

Where and how to look
Listen for the rhythmic call on calm nights from April to August in orchards and old gardens.
Best time / activity
Evening · Night
Behaviour to anticipate
Calling from a favoured perch shortly after dusk.
Photography difficulty
Difficult
Fieldcraft
Locate a calling bird by ear at night, then return at dusk to find the perch.
Ethics
Never use playback or flash at roosts or nests, keep visits short, and do not share roost locations.

Identification

Small nocturnal raptor, 19–21 cm, smaller than the little owl, brown with white spotting, two ear tufts and yellow eyes.

Habitat

Open and semi-open areas in hilly and lowland Romania, avoiding the mountains: orchards, groves, abandoned gardens and sparse open woodland.

Distribution

Hilly and lowland areas of Romania; absent from the mountains.

Approximate range in Romania

BotosaniSatu MareMaramuresSuceavaBihorIasiBistrita-NasaudSalajClujNeamtMuresHarghitaVasluiBacauAradAlbaHunedoaraCovasnaSibiuTimisVranceaGalatiBrasovBuzauCaras-SeverinArgesValceaBrailaPrahovaDambovitaGorjMehedintiOltIalomitaConstantaIlfovDoljCalarasiGiurgiuTeleormanTulceaBucuresti
Lowlands and plains · Transylvanian hills · DobrogeaGeneral distribution only. This is not an occurrence map and does not show nesting or sensitive wildlife locations.

Diet

Insects and other small prey hunted at night.

Behaviour

Strictly nocturnal; its monotonous, repeated call is the easiest way to detect it.

Seasonality in Romania

The only Romanian nocturnal raptor that migrates. Arrives in April and leaves for its sub-Saharan wintering grounds in August.

PresentRareAbsentUnknown

Presence

Estimated from existing data

Breeding

Migration

Wintering

Data note. Some monthly timing is based on existing estimates and has not yet been verified against a Romanian source.

About this data

Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. Presence verification is separate from monthly status; each month's details identify its verification. Lighter bands mark estimated timing. Empty event rows mean no event is recorded, not confirmed absence.

Breeding

Breeds in tree cavities and old holes in open woodland and gardens.

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    Sources

    Last reviewed:

    Romanian name, status in Romania, distribution, habitat, diet and breeding summarised from the SOR species account. Global status from IUCN/BirdLife. Monthly presence shown only where SOR states it.

    Suggest a correction or source