Collared scops owls spotted in Xiamen, SE China's Fujian

Collared scops owls, a second-class state protected bird species, rest on a tree branch in the urban area of Siming district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)

Several collared scops owls were recently spotted in the urban area of Siming district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province.

The collared scops owl is a bird species under second-class state protection in China, according to a staff member from the city's natural resources and planning bureau. It mainly feeds on small birds, rodents, lizards and insects, and is a resident bird in Xiamen. However, it is rare to spot collared scops owls in urban areas, as they mainly inhabit mountains.