Scops Owl

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Scops Owl in the UK

Scops Owl is a rare vagrant from southern Europe, on the British List in Category A. There have been close to 100 British records, but a large share are old: the first was shot near Wetherby, Yorkshire, in spring 1805, and only about 40 were recorded between 1950 and 2018. It is not annual. Most are overshooting spring migrants in April to June. Autumn birds are much rarer, though one in County Durham in September and October 2017 stayed for days. Another sang at Billingford Lakes, Norfolk, in June 2023.

Where and when to see a Scops Owl

Records are scattered, with old clusters in Norfolk, Yorkshire, Cornwall and Shetland. Spring birds arrive from late April to June, usually after warm southerly winds. Many are found by a resident hearing an unfamiliar repeated whistle after dark from a village garden, churchyard or park. Others are found roosting by day, pressed against a trunk. News spreads fast, but singing birds often move on after a night or two.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Mediterranean (rare vagrant).
Diet: Insects.
Field note: Small; ear tufts.

How to identify a Scops Owl

A very small owl, 19 to 21 cm long, a little smaller and much slimmer than a Little Owl. Plumage is grey-brown or rufous-brown, finely streaked and barred like tree bark. It has small ear tufts, raised when alert and flattened when relaxed, and yellow eyes. By day it sits bolt upright against a trunk with eyes closed to slits. It is strictly nocturnal, so most views are of a roosting bird or a shape in torchlight.

Call and song

A single short, soft whistle, "tyu", repeated every two to three seconds for long periods, like a slow electronic beep. It is given at night, mainly in spring. The call of the midwife toad is very similar. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Little Owl: Little Owl is squat and flat-headed with no ear tufts, white spots on the crown and back, and is often out in daylight.
• Long-eared Owl: Long-eared Owl also has ear tufts and a bark-like pattern but is nearly twice as long, with orange eyes.

Related guide Rare birds in the UK.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Scops Owl is an Epic tier bird, worth +20 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Daurian ShrikeEpic · Coastal scrub (rare vagrant)
• Eastern Yellow WagtailEpic · Marshes (very rare vagrant)
• Pacific Golden PloverEpic · Coastal turf (very rare vagrant)
• Siberian RubythroatEpic · Coastal scrub (very rare vagrant)
• Black DuckEpic · Marshes (very rare vagrant)
• Black-billed CuckooEpic · Woodland (very rare vagrant)

Scops Owl: quick answers

Has a Scops Owl ever been seen in the UK?

Yes. It has been recorded close to 100 times since 1805. Twenty-first century birds include a long-stayer in County Durham in autumn 2017 and one heard singing in Norfolk in June 2023.

When is the best time to see Scops Owl?

Late April to June, when birds returning from Africa to the Mediterranean overshoot in warm southerly weather. Listen after dark on still nights. Autumn records are few, and it may be overlooked then because birds do not call.

What does a Scops Owl eat?

Mostly large insects such as moths, beetles, crickets and grasshoppers, caught at night from a perch or on the ground. It also takes spiders, earthworms and now and then a small lizard or mouse. This insect diet is why it leaves Europe for Africa in winter.

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