A visitor to Rifle Range Road in Singapore was greeted by a rather miniscule resident.
Tiny owl observing
A recent Facebook post by one Abimanyu Shunmugam showed a tiny owl sitting casually in the middle of Rifle Range Road one morning.
Abimanyu said that he had been walking there at around 5:30am when he spotted the tiny bird.
Here it is, with cute ear tufts which give it a rather grumpy appearance.
Photo from Abimanyu Shunmugam / FB
The owl is actually a Sunda scops owl. At maturity, an individual measures only around 20cm to 25cm from head to toe.
The name "scops" is derived from a Greek word which means "watcher" — clearly what the owl was doing when it caught sight of Abimanyu.
Here's a video which Abimanyu captured as he cautiously walked past the owl, showing the creature eyeing him suspiciously.
The owl's head slowly swiveled around, tracking his movements while its body remained completely still.
Video from Abimanyu Shunmugam / FB
Many Facebook commenters marvelled at the bird's ability to turn its head to such a degree.
Abimanyu added that he did not believe the owl to be injured, but had moved it to the side of a road with a tree branch just to be safe.
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Top photo from Abimanyu Shunmugam / FB