Whiskered Screech-Owl

Megascops trichopsisOrder: STRIGIFORMES Family: True Owls (Strigidae)

Codes: Common Name: WHSO Scientific Name: MEGTRI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 686662

Head

Topo Map: Owl-like Head

Bill Shape: Hooked
Eye Color: Lemon yellow in juveniles, becoming golden to orange with age, possibly darker in males. Color varies with light source.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Crested or plumed, Streaked, Special (unique patterns or features)
Crown Color: Gray or red-brown with dark streaking.
Forehead Color: Gray or red-brown with dark streaking. White with gray wash. facial disk with dark border.
Nape Color: Gray or buff with dark streaking.
Throat Color: Buff with rust-brown spotting.
Cere color: Gray

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Body

Topo Map: Owl-like Body

Length Range: 17-20 cm (6.5-8 in)
Weight: 85 g (3 oz)
Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
Color: White, Brown, Gray
Underparts: White and buff with brown streaking and dark crossbars.
Upperparts: Gray and brown mottling with narrow brown streaking and barring.
Back Pattern: Mottled
Belly Pattern: Striped or streaked, Mottled
Breast Pattern: Striped or streaked, Mottled

Flight

Topo Map: Owl-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Slow light steady wing beats.
Wingspan Range: 44 cm (17.5 in)
Wing Shape: Broad-Wings
Tail Shape: Squared Tail
Tail Pattern: Barred
Upper Tail: Gray-brown with narrow brown streaking and barring.
Under Tail: White with brown streaking and barring.
Leg Color: Feathered in pale brown.

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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.

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.

● 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

Owl-like Head

Owl-like Body

Owl-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America