Biology:Whiskered screech owl

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Short description: Species of owl

Whiskered screech owl
Megascops trichopsis.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Megascops
Species:
M. trichopsis
Binomial name
Megascops trichopsis
(Wagler, 1832)
Subspecies

See text.

Megascops trichopsis map.svg
Synonyms

Otus trichopsis

The whiskered screech owl (Megascops trichopsis) is a small screech owl found in North and Central America.

Description

Adults occur in 2 color morphs, in either brown or dark grey plumage. They have a round head with ear tufts, yellow eyes and a yellowish bill. The bird looks very similar to a western screech owl, but has heavier barring on the breast, and is slightly smaller in size. They are 6.3 to 7.9 in and have a wingspan of 17.3 in.

Range and habitat

The whiskered screech owl's range extends from southeasternmost Arizona (the Madrean sky islands region) in the United States , southwards through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, to north central Nicaragua.[1] Their breeding habitat is dense coniferous or oak woodlands, and coffee plantations usually occurring at higher elevations than the western screech owl.

Behavior

These birds wait on a perch and swoop down on prey; they also capture targeted food items in flight. They mainly eat small mammals and large insects, with grasshoppers, beetles, and moths making up a large portion of their diet but, they also eat katydids and scorpions . They are active at night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey.

The most common call is a series of about 8 regularly spaced "boo" notes, slightly higher in the middle, slightly lower at each end.

3 to 4 eggs are usually laid in April or May, usually found in a tree cavity or old woodpecker hole 5 to 7 meters above the ground.

Subspecies

There are 3 recognized subspecies:[3]

  • Megascops trichopsis aspersus Brewster, 1888
  • Megascops trichopsis mesamericanus (Van Rossem, 1932)
  • Megascops trichopsis trichopsis (Wagler, 1832)

References

  • "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN:0-7922-6877-6
  • Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 5, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN:84-87334-25-3
  • "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN:0-679-45122-6

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1147207 entry