White-throated Screech Owl

Megascops albogularis

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCavity nestMedium · 159 g

What the White-throated Screech Owl sounds like

Sonogram of the White-throated Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Duet · Morona-Santiago: PN Sangay, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the White-throated Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Zamora-Chinchipe: camp on Ventanilla-Christopher Parson trail, Reserva Tapichalaca, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the White-throated Screech Owl: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Morona-Santiago: PN Sangay, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The white-throated screech owl is a large member of its genus. It is 20 to 26 cm (7.9 to 10.2 in) long and weighs 130 to 185 g (4.6 to 6.5 oz). It is overall dark plumaged, has a round head with very small ear tufts, and a longish tail. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dark brown head and upperparts with small blackish, reddish, and white marks. Their flight feathers and tail have narrow darker bars. They have a dark facial disc with whitish marks above and below the orange eyes and a large white area below the bill that in some postures looks like large moustaches. Voice: The white-throated screech owl has several vocalizations. What is believed to be its primary male song is "gruff, barked notes, 'churrochurro-churro-chu chu chu chu'" given for up to a minute. A secondary song is "evenly spaced hoots, 5 per second". Members of a pair sing in duet, with the female having a higher pitch. The female also has various agitation calls.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the White-throated Screech Owl

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the White-throated Screech Owl

Regular range

The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the White-throated Screech Owl

The white-throated screech owl is a small owl found in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

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

Easily confused with

Side by side: Middle American Screech Owl vs White-throated Screech Owl · Bare-shanked Screech Owl vs White-throated Screech Owl

Learn the White-throated Screech Owl in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.