Whiskered screech owl

Short description: Species of owl

Whiskered screech owl

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Strigiformes
Family:  | Strigidae
Genus:  | Megascops
Species:  |

M. trichopsis

Binomial name
Megascops trichopsis

(Wagler, 1832)

Subspecies

See text.

Synonyms

Otus trichopsis

The whiskered screech owl (Megascops trichopsis) is a small screech owl found in North and Central America.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Range and habitat
* 3 Behavior
* 4 Subspecies
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## 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 owl, but has heavier barring on the breast, and is slightly smaller in size. They are 6.3 to 7.9 in and have a wingspan of 17.3 in.

## Range and habitat

The whiskered screech owl's range extends from southeasternmost Arizona (the Madrean sky islands region) in the United States , southwards through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, to north central Nicaragua.[1] Their breeding habitat is dense coniferous or oak woodlands, and coffee 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 grasshoppers, beetles, and moths making up a large portion of their diet but, they also eat katydids and scorpions . 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.

## Subspecies

There are 3 recognized subspecies:[3]

* Megascops trichopsis aspersus Brewster, 1888
* Megascops trichopsis mesamericanus (Van Rossem, 1932)
* Megascops trichopsis trichopsis (Wagler, 1832)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 BirdLife International (2016). "Megascops trichopsis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22688766A93208062. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688766A93208062.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22688766/93208062. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php.
3. ↑ "Megascops trichopsis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=686658. Retrieved 5 April 2011.

* "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN:0-7922-6877-6
* Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 5, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN:84-87334-25-3
* "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN:0-679-45122-6

## External links

* Photo-High Res; Article "Birds of Honduras"
* Whiskered Screech Owl photo gallery VIREO

Wikidata ☰ Q1147207 entry

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