Collared Scops-Owl

SCI Name:  Otus lettia
Protonym:  Scops lettia As.Res. 19 p.176
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Otus
Taxonomy Code:  cosowl1
Type Locality:  Nepal.
Author:  Hodgson
Publish Year:  1836
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

OTUS
(Strigidae; Ϯ Indian Scops Owl O. bakkamoena) L. otus  small eared owl  < Gr. ωτος ōtos  eared owl; "III.  OTUS BAKKAMOENA.  The Little Horn Owl.   THIS elegant species is found in Ceylon, is called there Bakkamoena, and is a scarce species even in that island.   It is represented of its natural size. The irides are scarlet: the horns take their origin from the base of the bill, and point to the sides of the head: on their inner side they are dusky, on their exterior white.  The bill is dusky, surrounded with long bristles: the circle of feathers round the eyes is of a very pale ash-color: the external circle of a yellowish brown.  The head of a deep ash-color: the back dusky: coverts of the wings grey, marked with narrow lines of black, pointing downwards: the quil feathers regularly barred with black and white: the breast buff-colored, marked with small sagittal black spots: the legs feathered half way down: the naked part of a reddish yellow." (Pennant 1769); "Otus Pennant, Indian Zool., 1769, p. 3. Type, by monotypy, Otus bakkamoena Pennant." (Peters 1940, IV, 86).  
Var. Otis.   
Synon. Acnemis, Athenoptera, Ephialtes, Gymnoscops, Heteroscops, Lempijius, Pisorhina, Scops, Scototheres, Zorca.

otus
L. otus  eared owl  < Gr. ωτος ōtos  eared owl; "42. STRIX.  ...  Otus.  4. S. capite auriculato pennis senis. Faun. svec. 47.  Otus s. Asio. Bell. av. 25. 6. Aldr. orn. 1. 8. c. 3. Will. ornith. 64. t. 12. Raj. av. 25. Frisch. av. t. 99. Alb. av. 2.. p. 10. t. 10.  Habitat in Europa.  Cristæ auritæ albidæ fasciis sex fuscis." (Linnaeus 1758) (Asio).

lettia
“The Lattya Cusyal of Nèpál” (Hodgson 1836) (Otus).

SUBSPECIES

Collared Scops-Owl (plumipes)
SCI Name: Otus lettia plumipes
plumipes
L. plumipes, plumipedis  feather-footed  < pluma plume, small feather; pes, pedis  foot  < Gr. πους pous, ποδος podos  foot.
● ex “Buse Gantée” of Levaillant 1797, pl. 18 (syn. Buteo lagopus).

Collared Scops-Owl (lettia)
SCI Name: Otus lettia lettia
lettia
“The Lattya Cusyal of Nèpál” (Hodgson 1836) (Otus).

Collared Scops-Owl (erythrocampe)
SCI Name: Otus lettia erythrocampe
erythrocampa / erythrocampe
Gr. ερυθρος eruthros  red; καμπη kampē  bending, curve (e.g. shoulder).

Collared Scops-Owl (glabripes)
SCI Name: Otus lettia glabripes
glabripes
L. glaber  smooth, hair-less; pes, pedis  foot  < Gr. πους pous, ποδος podos  foot.

Collared Scops-Owl (umbratilis)
SCI Name: Otus lettia umbratilis
umbratile / umbratilis
L. umbratilis  retiring, shy, remaining in the shade  < umbra  shade.