Screech Owl - Animals Town

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Screech Owl

Type: Bird
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 8.5 inches (22 cm)

What does a screech owl look like?
Screech owls are the most diverse in plumage color of all the North American owls, and variation in color is related to region. The Eastern Screech Owl has two color morphs, rufous and gray; rufous individuals live mainly in the south and gray individuals in the north. The breast and belly are heavily streaked and spotted with black.

Screech Owl video.

Where do screech owls live?
Eastern Screech Owls are found east of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic. The species ranges from the Canadian boreal forests south to Mexico. They live in all forest types and prefer woodlands that are interspersed with the open clearings, meadows, and fields necessary for hunting. They also inhabit wetlands, orchards, suburban parks and gardens and towns. Western Screech Owls range all along the western coast of the continent from Canada south to the Baja peninsula and into Mexico, and they are found as far east as the western border of Texas. They usually live at lower elevations and prefer open oak and riparian woodlands and seasonally wet areas. They also inhabit streamside groves, deserts, suburban parks, and gardens.

What does a screech owl eat?
Screech Owls are highly nocturnal, and therefore are rarely seen hunting and feeding. Their diet is the most varied of any North American owl species, and is region-specific. They feed on insects, crayfish, earthworms, and all classes of vertebrates, including songbirds, fish, amphibians, and small mammals such as squirrels, shrews, rabbits, bats, and rodents. The owls swoop down from their perch to capture their prey; they rarely hover while hunting. Screech Owls cache uneaten prey items in cavities.