Scoping the owl

RESEARCHER Puan Chong Leong caught his first owl in a mist net in the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong, Selangor. It was a collared scops owl, a beautiful creature with large, brown forward-facing eyes, small head tufts and a neat little beak.

That encounter marked the beginning of his interest in this largely under-appreciated bird. Few Malaysians realise just how many fascinating owl species exist in our backyard.