WHISKERED SCREECH OWL
Megascops trichopsis
WHISKERED SCREECH OWL FACTS:
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A small grayish owl with golden eyes, greenish-yellow beak, and small ear tufts
Males: usually gray, though sometimes reddish; facial disc light gray with faint rings and whisker-like feathers which cannot be detected in the field
Females: similar to male
Young: grey to grayish-brown with faint crossbars on head and body; inconspicuous ear-tufts
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OTHER NAMES:
Spotted Screech Owl, Whiskered Owl
FAMILY: Strigidae
CLOSEST RELATIVE:
Western Screech Owl, Eastern Screech Owl
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL SIZE:
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Height: Males 16-20cm (6.3-7.9 in), Females 16-20cm (6.3-7.9 in)
Weight: Males 85g (2.9 oz), Females 94g (3.3 oz)
Wingspan Both: 40-50cm (15.7-19.7 in)
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL RANGE:
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Range: southern New Mexico and Arizona, Mexico and Central America
WHISKERED SCREECH OWL HABITAT:
Dense deciduous and mixed forests at high elevations
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL DIET:
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Mostly insects and other arthropods, sometimes small mammals
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL VOICE:
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Often described as sounding like Morse code
Males: a series of about 8 evenly spaced “ook” notes the last dropping in pitch; also 2 short notes, followed by 2-5 longer notes
Females: higher pitched; often duets with male
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL NESTING:
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Nest Site: cavity nester; nests mostly in Flicker holes, high (5.5-7 meters) in deciduous (oak, walnut, juniper, sycamore) trees
Eggs: 3-4 eggs
Incubation: unknown
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL HUNTING HABITS:
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Nocturnal; hunts from tree perch; sometimes flutters in tree tops catching flying insects
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WHISKERED SCREECH OWL CONSERVATION STATUS:
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Threatened in New Mexico
WHISKERED SCREECH OWL DISTRIBUTION IN NORTH AMERICA
Maps provided by The Birds of North America Online and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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The Whiskered Screech Owl is the most mysterious of the three Screech Owl species. Found mostly south of the U.S. border, the Whiskered Screech Owl remains elusive.
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Very few nests of this species have ever been found. These owls tend to live at high elevations (usually around 5,000 feet) and nest high up in trees. In fact, they spend much of their time hidden in the tree tops, roosting in dense foliage and feeding on flying insects. Their nocturnal hunting habits and high elevation home make them difficult for humans to locate, but just like the other species of Screech Owls, this owl can be identified by its unique voice.
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The Whiskered Screech Owl boasts an unusual series of hoots, often described as sounding like Morse code in the way the notes vary in length. This owl can also be heard giving a series of short whistles, all on the same pitch.
If the unique call of the Whiskered Screech Owl brings you close enough to catch a glimpse of one, you might notice that it more closely resembles the Western Screech Owl with its dark beak and overall gray coloring, though its bold chest markings are more similar to the Eastern.
The Whiskered Screech Owl is the smallest of the three, standing to only about 18 centimeters. Though the three Screech Owl species are similar, clearly they differ in many ways.
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