It was snowing when our guide, Kaz Shinoda took us to a day-roost to see this uncommon, mostly nocturnal dark-eyed owl. This species prefers old-growth forest across Eurasia ranging from Scandinavia to Japan. Three races are recognized in Japan with birds breeding in Hokkaido assigned to S. u. japonica which averages larger, paler and less brown than the others. The white spots bordering its facial disk, broad white streaking on its back, and mostly white belly are all characters of this distinctive race.
