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Whiskered Screech-Owl

Megascops trichopsisOrder: STRIGIFORMESFamily: True Owls (Strigidae)

Whiskered Screech-Owl Portrait
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General

Whiskered Screech-Owl: Small owl with distinct ear tufts, gray and brown mottled upperparts, and brown-streaked, white-barred underparts. Facial bristles are longer and denser than in other screech owls. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Whiskered Screech-Owl: Resident in range, in the north of its range (Arizona), there may be some down slope movements in winter. Prefers montane habitats.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"woot, woot, woot, woot"

Interesting Facts

 The Whiskered Screech Owl is also called the Arizona Whiskered Owl, Spotted Screech-Owl and Whiskered Owl.

 They are the smallest of the three Screech-Owls that occur in North America. All three Screech-Owls are very similar in appearance and can only positively be distinguished in the field by their call.

 Their call is a series of soft hoots, long and short notes interspersed, which has been likened to Morse code.

 A group of owls has many collective nouns, including a "bazaar", "glaring", "parliament", "stooping", and "wisdom" of owls.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Whiskered Screech-Owl
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Megascops trichopsis
Length6.5 - 8 Inches
Wingspan17.5 Inches

Whiskered Screech-Owl

Whiskered Screech-Owl: Small owl with distinct ear tufts, gray and brown mottled upperparts, and brown-streaked, white-barred underparts. It is named for its facial whiskers, which are longer and denser than in other screech owls. Eyes are yellow. Flight is mothlike with rapid, silent wing beats.

● Song: "woot, woot, woot, woot"

● Foraging & Feeding: Whiskered Screech-Owl: Feeds on insects, spiders, and small mammals. Hunts from a perch, flying out to catch winged prey.

● Breeding & nesting: Whiskered Screech-Owl: Two to four white eggs are laid in a natural cavity or abandoned woodpecker hole. Female incubates for 21 to 30 days.

● Similar species: Whiskered Screech-Owl: Eastern Screech-Owl is larger, has yellow eyes, and duller breast streaks. Western Screech-Owl is larger, darker overall, has yellow eyes, and a gray/black bill. Voice is often the best way to distinguish these species.

Flight Pattern

Slow light steady wing beats.
Whiskered Screech-Owl Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Whiskered Screech-Owl: Resident in range, in the north of its range (Arizona), there may be some down slope movements in winter. Prefers montane habitats.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationUncommon to locally common
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight3 Ounces