The A-List

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7. COMMON SCOPS OWL

By Joy H. Montgomery

There are more than 45 different types of scops owls living throughout the world, with most residing in Africa and southern Europe. Like most owls, the common scops owl is a nocturnal species. Its tiny height of about 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters) makes it excellent prey for other predatory birds, so these owls have adapted a cool trick to avoid becoming a midnight snack. With feathers that have coloring similar to tree bark, a scops owl can blend easily into tree branches, becoming virtually invisible to predators. In addition to having camouflaging feathers, the scops owl can also stretch its body to make it look leaner, and when it sways back and forth, it looks even more like a tree branch blowing in the breeze.