Whiskered Screech Owl
Encyclopedia
The Whiskered Screech Owl or Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis), is a small scops owl
found in North
and Central America
.
, but has heavier barring on the breast, and is slightly smaller in size.
(the Madrean sky islands
region) in the United States
, southwards through Mexico
, Guatemala
, El Salvador
, Honduras
, to north central Nicaragua
. Their breeding habitat is dense coniferous or oak woodlands, and coffee
plantations usually occurring at higher elevations than the Western Screech Owl.
s, beetles, moths
making up a large portion of their diet. They are active at night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey.
The most common call is a series of about 8 regularly spaced “boo” notes, slightly higher in the middle, slightly lower at each end.
3 to 4 eggs are usually laid in April or May, usually found in a tree cavity or old woodpecker
hole 5 to 7 meters above the ground.
:
Typical owl
True owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...
found in North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
Description
Adults occur in 2 color morphs, in either brown or dark grey plumage. They have a round head with ear tufts, yellow eyes and a yellowish bill. The bird looks very similar to a Western Screech OwlWestern Screech Owl
The Western Screech Owl is a small owl native to North and Central America, closely related to the European Scops owl and the North American Eastern Screech Owl. The scientific name commemorates the American naturalist Robert Kennicott.-Description:Length averages , wingspan and weight . Weight...
, but has heavier barring on the breast, and is slightly smaller in size.
Range and habitat
The Whiskered Screech Owl's range extends from southeasternmost ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
(the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
region) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, southwards through Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, to north central Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Their breeding habitat is dense coniferous or oak woodlands, and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
plantations usually occurring at higher elevations than the Western Screech Owl.
Behavior
These birds wait on a perch and swoop down on prey; they also capture targeted food items in flight. They mainly eat small mammals and large insects, with grasshopperGrasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s, beetles, moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
making up a large portion of their diet. They are active at night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey.
The most common call is a series of about 8 regularly spaced “boo” notes, slightly higher in the middle, slightly lower at each end.
3 to 4 eggs are usually laid in April or May, usually found in a tree cavity or old woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
hole 5 to 7 meters above the ground.
Subspecies
There are 3 recognized subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- Megascops trichopsis aspersus Brewster, 1888
- Megascops trichopsis mesamericanus (Van Rossem, 1932)
- Megascops trichopsis trichopsis (Wagler, 1832)
External links
- Photo-High Res; Article "Birds of Honduras"
- Whiskered Screech Owl photo gallery VIREO
