Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) | Photos, Calls and ID

NENot EvaluatedInvertebrates

ForestCavity nestMedium · 118 g

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae), photo 1 — Photo: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY 4.0

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae), photo 2 — Photo: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY 4.0

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae), photo 3 — Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae), photo 4 — Photo: Roger A. Morales-Flores · CC BY 4.0

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae), photo 5 — Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · CC BY 4.0

What the Middle American Screech Owl sounds like

Sonogram of the Middle American Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Oliver Komar · Song · Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Departamento de Cortés (near village of Santa Elena), Honduras · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The Middle American screech owl is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 95 to 150 g (3.4 to 5.3 oz). It is dimorphic, with one morph overall grayish-brown and the other overall rufous. Unlike other owls of the same genus, it has feathered feet. The brown morph has a light brown facial disc with a thin dark border, thin white brows over yellow eyes, and short dark "ear" tufts. Its crown and upperparts range from dark gray brown to blackish brown; the crown has blackish spots and bars and the back has darker streaks and vermiculations. The fairly long tail is barred. Voice: The Middle American screech owl's principal territorial song is "a rapid, quavering trill...increasing in pitch and volume, ending abruptly". Its secondary song is a "short series of notes...in bouncing-ball rhythm."

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Middle American 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 March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Middle American Screech Owl

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 10 countries with regular records, and 3 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Costa Rica Belize Mexico Guatemala Honduras Panama Nicaragua Venezuela French Guiana Guyana

Recorded as a rare visitor in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia.

About the Middle American Screech Owl

The Middle American screech owl, also known as the Guatemalan screech owl or the vermiculated screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from northern Mexico to western Panama.

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

Easily confused with

Pacific Screech OwlMegascops cooperiThe Pacific screech owl is a medium-sized member of Megascops and has prominent "ear" tufts and bright yellow eyes.

Tawny-bellied Screech OwlMegascops watsoniiThe tawny-bellied screech owl is 19 to 24 cm (7.5 to 9.4 in) long.

White-throated Screech OwlMegascops albogularisThe white-throated screech owl is a large member of its genus.

Side by side: Middle American Screech Owl vs Whiskered Screech Owl · Middle American Screech Owl vs Tawny-bellied Screech Owl · Middle American Screech Owl vs Pacific Screech Owl · Middle American Screech Owl vs White-throated Screech Owl

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