The Indian scops owl is the type species for the genus Otus. In the daytime, it hides in the trees with its camouflage so it's difficult to find one. It lives from the lowlands of India to 2200m in the Himalayas.
Fourth and last painting of a series with a Greek mythology theme
The little owl as been the symbol of the goddess Athena, and later her Roman counterpart Minerva, for a long time and in some European languages their usual name still reflect that link. In many places in southern Europe, the owl is still considered a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, and people often gift little owl figurines to students for good luck in studies and exams