Observations on wintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus ... - Indian Birds

<strong>Observations</strong> on wintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei
at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh,
Surendranagar district, Gujarat
Harkirat Singh Sangha & Dhanraj Malik
Sangha, H. S., & Malik, D., 2010. <strong>Observations</strong> onwintering Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei at Zainabad, Little Rann of Kachchh,
Surendranagar district, Gujarat. Indian Birds 5 (6): 176–177.
Harkirat Singh Sangha, B-27, Gautam Marg, Hanuman Nagar, Jaipur 302021, Rajasthan, India. Email: harkirat.sangha@gmail.com
Dhanraj Malik, Camp Desert Coursers, Zainabad, District Surindernagar, 382765 Gujarat, India. Email: zainabad@hotmail.com
Manuscript received on 5 May 2009.
Introduction
The Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei is found from the Middle-East
(south-central Turkey, northern Syria, Iraq, Iran, eastern Arabia)
to western and central Asia, south to Afghanistan, Pakistan,
and north-western India. Although it is present all year round
in south-eastern Arabia, and Iran, other populations are mostly
migratory, wintering in the Levant region, north-eastern Egypt,
Arabia, and in India south to Mumbai (König et al. 1999). It breeds
from Palestine to the Aral Sea and Afghanistan, and winters at the
southern part of this range, and northern India (Marshall 1978),
preferring cultivated, and riverine woodlands, and in northern
India, and Pakistan, stony semi-deserts, steep cliffs, and rocky
gorges where trees grow larger than bush size (Voous 1988).
Specimens of the nominate brucei (breeding in northern Central
Asia) have been collected in autumn, and winter, in Pakistan, and
the Mumbai region of western India, but not elsewhere (Cramp
1985). From Afghanistan, Paludan (1959) has mentioned “one
record (Wakhan)”, but doubted that it bred there.
Ali & Ripley (1981) consider the Pallid Scops Owl an
imperfectly known species within the Indian Subcontinent. In
Pakistan it is reported from Gilgit, Punjab (Salt Range), Quetta
district, Baluchistan—from Chaman to central Makran. It is
recorded only during winter in Sind (Murray 1884). Indian records
are from Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Ahmednagar (its type locality)
(Ripley 1982).
Its distributional status in Pakistan is that of a scarce resident
and local migrant, summering in the hills, with a few winter
records from the plains. Kylänpää (2000) mentions Pallid Scops
Owl as a rare resident around Sheikh Budin, Dera Ismail Khan
in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan but gives no other
information. In India it is a rare visitor (Grimmett et al 1998). del
Hoyo et al. (1999) describe it as rare visitor in India. Baker (1927)
described it as a straggling visitor to India.
Ali (1945) did not find it during his 1943–1944 surveys in
Kachchh; nor has he listed it for Gujarat (Ali 1956). However,
Dharmakumsinji (1955) stated that it was a rare straggler
in Saurashtra and recorded collecting specimens at Hathab,
Bhavnagar.
According to Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) it disperses in
winter to the plains of Pakistan, “commonly reaching western
Maharashtra (numerous verified specimens)”. However, Prasad
(2003, 2006) gives its status as unclear, and rare, in Maharashtra.
Abdulali (1972) presents details of only four specimens from
Maharashtra, in the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS)
collection: two old skins from Pune (1882) and Ratnagiri (1874),
and a third from Thane (1960). The fourth is in the collection of St
Xaviers High School, obtained from Andheri (1965).
Thus it has been recorded only on few occasions from India,
and all the recent records are not from Maharashtra but from
western and northern India. A bird was caught and measured on
13 November 1984 at Rajkot, Gujarat (Mundkur 1986). A specimen
was collected from Ambala, Haryana and sent to the BNHS in
January 1982 (Roberts 1992). A pair was observed roosting in the
branches of the only tree below Hanle monastery, Ladakh, on 8
October 1997 (Pfister 2001).
A new record from Gujarat
On 15 October 2008, this rare owl was discovered by chance by
DM in his wildlife resort, Desert Coursers, Zainabad (23º16´51N
71º46´09E), in the Little Rann of Kachchh, Surendranagar district,
Gujarat, India. It was roosting in a tree by day. Subsequently one
more bird was found here, roosting in a hollow of a wall, and
a third was discovered in the beginning of February 2009. HSS
Fig. 1. Day-roosting Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei.
H. S. Sangha
176
Indian Birds Vol. 5 No. 6 (Publ. 6th May 2010)

Sangha & Malik: Pallid Scops Owl
Dhanraj Malik
observed them from 29 to 31 December 2008, and on 31 January
2009.
Description
Scops-owls (Genus Otus) have an intricate pattern of colouring
resembling bark and dry leaves, which camouflage them
appropriately among regional flora, while it roosts in the daytime
(Marshall 1978). The bird exhibits a whole cline of colour variation
from sandier to grey plumages (Mikkola 1983). The bird at
Zainabad was the nominate brucei, rather grey with sharply
defined streaks. Of the four distinct size-groups at least nominate
brucei migrates to northern India (Cramp 1985). The identification
was fairly straightforward facilitated by the best of views and
good light conditions.
One bird, roosting upright in a tree, appeared rather slim, with
its plumage sleeked and its rounded ear-tufts raised (Fig. 1).
However, at night it appeared dumpier, with relaxed body
plumage, a more rounded head, and ear-tufts only slightly raised
with feathers of head held loose (Figs. 2–3).
Overall the bird looked creamy-grey with fine sharp black
streaks. Under parts were comparatively paler with black
striations thicker and longer on breast side. These appeared to
become narrower and sharper towards tips, whereas on Eurasian
Scops Owl Otus scops they normally become slightly broader and
diffuse.
The facial disc appeared paler, greyer and much plainerlooking
with tiny grey specks, and short whitish eyebrows.
The bristles at sides of bill were creamy white. Feathers of ruff
bordering facial disc were black and rather prominent, the border
not developed near forecrown and chest.
The birds kept their eyes closed during the day but at night
iris appeared bright yellow (although in Figs. 2–3 they look quite
different in flash light). The bill was horn-brown, dark black on
tip and feet light grey, claws were light horn at base but tips lead
coloured.
Behaviour
Three birds wintered in Desert Courser Camp, Zainabad from
15 October 2008 to 1 April 2009. Two birds were seen regularly
in the camp during this period. A third bird was found towards
the end of winter. The camp, on the eastern edge of the Little
Rann of Kachchh, is the better-wooded part, for miles, in the area.
Undoubtedly, this oasis, with its scattering of neem Azadirachta
Fig. 2. Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei at night.
indica and khejri Prosopis cineraria trees, attracted the birds.
The owls spent most of the day motionless at their daytime
roost. One bird, holed up in a wall, was relaxed, and kept its
plumage rather loose. Another, which roosted in neem and khejri,
effectively disguised itself as a snag.
Although both birds were tolerant of human presence, the one
roosting in trees was seen changing its roost due to disturbance
from people. It flew a short distance into another tree if disturbed
by day.
DM did not hear them calling any time.
The owls were present till 1 April 2009, after which there were
no further reports.
Stop press: 2009–2010 winter
The first Pallid Scops Owl arrived at Desert Coursers on 27 October
2009, and two more were seen about a fortnight later. They spent
the winter there, and were last seen on 12 March 2010. Most likely
they were the same birds as the previous year.
Acknowledgement
We thank Aasheesh Pittie for his help with additional references.
References
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