From Souvik Kundu

Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei), a ghostly pale nocturnal hunter, is one of India’s most elusive winter visitors, blending seamlessly into arid landscapes with its sandy plumage and piercing yellow eyes. Measuring just 18-21 cm, it is smaller than many sparrows yet a fierce predator of insects and small vertebrates.

Sightings in Maharashtra remain exceptionally rare, confined mostly to Mumbai suburbs and western coastal areas.

Uran, Maharashtra January 2026