Ever wondered about the Screech-Owl? How many are there, where do they live and do they really screech? Read on to find out all about these fabulous owls.
Screech-Owls
The Screech-Owl belongs to the Strigidae family of ‘typical owls’. Within that family, they are part of the Megascops genus. There are 22 owls in this genus and 3 of them are present in the United States. So let’s take a look at them first.
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)
Identification
The Eastern Screech-Owl is a thickset owl that has ear tufts that can be raised or flat. It has a gray or red morph, both of which offer excellent camouflage. It is nocturnal and so very difficult to see. In the day it likes to roost in tree cavities.
Size
- Length: 6.3-9.8 in (16-25 cm)
- Weight: 4.3-8.6 oz (121-244 g)
- Wingspan: 18.9-24.0 in (48-61 cm)
This is a small owl. If you think of that length, 25cm is about the size of a standard business envelope. It weighs about the same as a roll (40 coins) of nickels.
Range
As the name suggests and this Range Map shows, the Eastern Screech-Owl is found in eastern and central parts of continental America. It is resident and non-migratory, preferring forested areas near to water.
Diet
As expected, this bird of prey looks for small mammals, usually rodents and will also eat songbirds. To supplement its diet, it will also eat vertebrates and invertebrates preferring insects, worms and crayfish.
Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
Identification
Fairly similar to the gray morph Eastern Screech-Owl, the Western species is small and only gray. There is no red morph. Patterns are intricate and means it is well camouflaged. It is nocturnal and roosts during the day in cavities and/or nest boxes.
Size
- Length: 7.5-9.8 in (19-25 cm)
- Weight: 3.5-10.8 oz (100-305 g)
- Wingspan: 21.6-24.4 in (55-62 cm)
The Western Screech-Owl is pretty much the same size as its Eastern cousin. To put some perspective on this, this owl has a wingspan of about 3 volleyballs.
Range
As the Range Map shows and the name suggests, the Western Screech-Owl is resident on the west coast of the U.S, pretty much taking up where the Eastern Screech-Owl’s range ends. It extends up into Canada and Alaska.
Diet
The diet of the Western Screech-Owl is more adaptable than the Eastern. It will also eat small mammals and birds. However, it does eat more insects than the Eastern and those birds that are resident in the southern deserts do eat more invertebrates than those in northern areas.
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis)
Identification
The Whiskered Screech-Owl is similar to the Western but if you look carefully, it has more black in its patterning. The bill is paler but they are easy to get confused.
Size
- Length: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)
- Weight: 3-3.5 oz (84-98 g)
- Wingspan: 17.3 in (44 cm)
The Whiskered Screech-Owl is generally smaller than the Eastern and Western Screech-Owls at the equivalent of 4 AA batteries.
Range
The Whiskered Screech-Owl is a Central American bird and only rarely visits Arizona.
Diet
The Whiskered Screech-Owl predominately eats arthropods which are invertebrates with an external skeleton. It watches from a perch and dives on prey in the leaf litter. It will then crush the animal and rip any hard shell or pieces off before eating.
Sounds of the Screech-Owl
As the Eastern and Western Screech-Owls are really the only common Screech-Owls in the U.S., we will now look at the sounds that they make.
The call
The Eastern Screech-Owl’s most common song is a persistent trill:
The Western Screech-Owl call is quite different and is referred to as the bouncing ball song.
These calls are those most likely to be heard.
The whinny call
The whinny call of both owls are a deliberate communication, usually a female calling to the male. They are similar but distinct.
The alarm call
The alarm calls of the owls are quite different with the Western call being more high pitched.
What do the calls mean?
Scientists who analyze vocalizations usually categorize calls and sounds. Here are some of the categories for our Screech-Owls.
| Call | Eastern Screech-Owl | Western Screech-Owl |
| general song | monotonic trill | bouncing ball and double trill |
| territorial defense | whinny | bark |
| juvenile begging or female | rasp | whinny |
| alert | hoot | chitter |
| bark | attack | attack |
| annoyance | chuckle/rattle | chuckle-up |
| agitation/alarm | repetitive screech | repetitive ascending screech |
Non-verbal sounds
The owls also snap their bills and sometimes hiss in response to some interference or intruder.
Why are Screech-Owls called Screech-Owls?
I know, you hear the name Screech-Owl and you expect the thing to be shrieking like murder, but these calls are pretty benign. The name Screech-Owl comes from the alarm calls the birds make, which could be the whinny or alarm call.
If you think about early ornithologists naming these birds, they would have found them at night and likely surprised them. Hence, the sounds they would have heard would have been an angry, alarmed owl. If you have ever come across a surprised owl, you will know what I mean.
Conclusion
So there it is, a small, inoffensive owl named as if it is some terrifying predator that howls bloody murder in the night. Doesn’t seem quite fair but that is how it goes in birding. Names often don’t fit the bird.
We hope you enjoyed reading about and listening to the Screech-Owls. Let us know if you have any questions.
FAQ
They are nocturnal but are active at dawn and dusk. That is the best time for us to see them. However, if you are in a forested area, always be looking out for holes in trees, you never know what you might see.
The White-throated Screech Owl is the largest species but it is only a couple of centimeters larger than the Eastern.
No, the Eastern and Western Screech-Owl are classed as Least Concern.
