Description:

Pale scops-owl with distinct fine streaking and short ear tufts. Paler and greyer than grey-morph Eurasian Scops; has less distinct (buff not white) scapular spots, and narrow streaking on underparts, which lack pale horizontal panels. Facial disc paler and plainer with black border finer and stronger.

Distribution:

Scarce summer visitor to the central Gilgit-Baltistan, mainly Ghizer, Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar and Diamer. Requires semi-desert and stony foothills, rocky gorges and similar semi-open arid habitats with trees and bushes. Mostly lowlands, but to 2500m.

Behavior:

Hunts from perch, dropping down to take prey from branch or ground; also pursues and catches aerial prey, such as moths and bats, on the wing. Sometimes forages in morning or afternoon. Feeds on insects, such as beetles, moths, locusts and mole-crickets, and spiders; also small mammals, birds, lizards; prey choice probably dependent on availability.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Pallid Scops-Owl in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Pallid Scops-Owl

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.