Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Megascops
Species: Megascops kennicottii
Conservation Status in Idaho
Least Concern
Range and Habitat
The Western Screech-owl can be found throughout most of western North America from southeast Alaska, through much of Canada, south to western Texas and Mexico. Its range continues into a large part of Central America. It is a resident of many of the countries in the region including Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Throughout its range, this beautiful owl can be found in a diverse number of habitats. It lives in deciduous and evergreen forests, lowland creeks, riparian areas, deserts, scrubland, and may even be seen living and nesting in urban parks throughout its range. In North America, it may be found in areas dominated by cottonwood trees, oaks, and willows, among other tree species.
Physical Features
Western Screech-Owls are small owls with stocky bodies. They have somewhat square heads, almost no neck, and conspicuous ear tufts. The tail is short.
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)
They are superbly camouflaged birds with a base color that can be grayish, brownish, or reddish-brown (rufous). The upperparts are flecked with white; the breast and belly are pale with dark, spidery streaks. The face is pale, outlined with dark arcs. The eyes are yellow.
Diet
The Western Screech-owl has a varied diet that includes insects, such as scorpions and cicadas, small mammals, birds, and some reptiles and amphibians. The majority of hunting is done during dusk, dawn or at night. Like other owls, they have exceptional hearing and great night vision, which helps make them excellent hunters. The Western Screech-owl uses several hunting strategies to capture prey. It may wait on a perch and then swoop down onto approaching animals, or it may chase its quarry in the air for short distances. It will sometimes even walk along the ground looking for something tasty to eat.
Lifespan
13 years in the wild and 30+ years in captivity.
Reproduction
The Western Screech-owl does not nest in traditional stick nests. Instead, it prefers to use holes (often old holes made by woodpeckers) or cavities in trees, Saguaro Cactus, or cliffs. They will also use nest boxes, which can be a good way to attract these owls to your neighborhood. Once the nest site is chosen, the female lays 3-7 eggs that must be incubated for around 26 days. Generally speaking, the female does all of the incubation and she is the one who cares for the young owlets, brooding and feeding them when they are still very small. During this time, it is the male’s job to feed his entire family and himself. He brings food to the female and she delicately feeds her young. When the owlets hatch, they are covered in fluffy down, but they grow very fast. Once they have most of their feathers, both parents work hard to hunt and feed the young owls. In about a month, they are ready to leave the nest for the first time. They stay with their parents for another 5-6 weeks before venturing out into the world on their own.
Social Behavior and Interaction
Western Screech-Owls are nocturnal hunters and are far more often heard than seen. They spend days either in a roost hole or looking out from the entrance, where they are sometimes found by noisy groups of mobbing songbirds.
Major Threats
Urban and agricultural development and forestry practices in low elevation.