Collared Scops Owl    Otus bakkamoena lettia

Etymology:

• Otus : Latin word for eared Owl
• Bakkamoena: Sinhlala name for Owl
• Lettia : Nepali name

Vernacular Names : Hindi: Tharkavi chughad, Pun: Kalar wala ulloo, Guj: Deshi chuggad, Kanthilo yuggad, Nepal: Lattya kusyal, Ta: Chinna aandai, Te: Pedda chitta guba, Mal: Nathu, Sinh: Punchi bassa

Distribution in India: Resident of Himalayas and North East in India.

Description: Size of 23–25 cm; Wt. of 108–170 g. It occurs in grey-brown and rufous morphs. The facial disc is greyish to light rufous, with buff eyebrows and inner webs of ear tufts which are small but conspicuous when raised. The upper side is grey-brown or rufous-brown, dark-mottled and with few whitish spots, and pale collar on back of neck. The chin and throat are pale, barred or mottled with black, breast is pale greyish-buff or rufous with black streaks; tarsus is feathered; irides are dark brown to orange-brown; bill is greenish-horn, darker at tip. The lower mandible is pale dusky yellow; toes and claws are fleshy-grey to dusky-olive.

Habitat: It is found in deciduous and evergreen forest, secondary growth, also open scrub near cultivation, open areas with stands of trees and bamboo, and gardens in towns and villages.It is found from lowland plains to at least 2200 m.

Food habits: It eats insects like beetles and grasshoppers; vertebrates, such as rodents, bats, small birds, lizards and frogs.

Breeding habits: They breed in Feb–Apr/May in India and Jan-Apr in Thailand. The nest is a natural hollow or woodpecker high, in tree trunk. They lay a clutch of 3–5 eggs. Both parents share in incubation duties. The incubation period is 22–29 days. The nestling period is 18–26 days.