Eastern Screech Owl

Megascops asio

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWoodlandCavity nestMedium · 180 g

What the Eastern Screech Owl sounds like

Sonogram of the Eastern Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by nocoastkyle · Subsong · Arvada, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eastern Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Eastern Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Adults range from 16 to 25 cm (6+1⁄2 to 10 in) in length and weigh 121–244 g (4+1⁄4–8+5⁄8 oz). Among the differently sized races, length can average from 19.5 to 23.8 cm (7+11⁄16 to 9+3⁄8 in). The wingspan can range from 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in). In Ohio, male owls average 166 g (5+7⁄8 oz) and females 194 g (6+7⁄8 oz) while in central Texas, they average 157 g (5+1⁄2 oz) and 185 g (6+1⁄2 oz), respectively. They have either rusty or dark gray intricately patterned plumage with streaking on the underparts.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Eastern Screech Owl

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 10 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Eastern Screech Owl

Regular range

The map shades 3 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Eastern Screech Owl

The eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl is a stocky, short-tailed owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. Mid-sized for a screech owl, the species resides in most types of woodland habitats across its range and is relatively adaptable to urban and developed areas compared to other owls. Although it often lives in close proximity to humans, the eastern screech owl frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Eastern Screech Owl vs Western Screech Owl · Eastern Screech Owl vs Tropical Screech Owl · Eastern Screech Owl vs Whiskered Screech Owl

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