About Otus spilocephalus (Blyth, 1846)
The mountain scops owl (Otus spilocephalus), sometimes also called the spotted scops owl, is a species of owl belonging to the family Strigidae. Its distribution range covers the Himalayas, southern China, Indochina, and the mountain regions of western Malesia, including Bhutan, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Taiwan, and Thailand. The nominate subspecies found in the eastern Himalayas has distinct, more russet plumage. This species is an altitudinal migrant. It produces a short, high-pitched call that takes the form of a two-note whistle, described as "plew-plew" or "he-he". Female songs of this species are rarely heard. Calls can also vary between different populations, which makes it possible to identify the origin of an individual bird from its call.
