Western Screech-Owl Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Western Screech-Owls are small owls with stocky bodies. They have somewhat square heads, almost no neck, and conspicuous ear tufts. The tail is short.

  Relative Size

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.5-9.8 in (19-25 cm)
    • Weight: 3.5-10.8 oz (100-305 g)
    • Wingspan: 21.6-24.4 in (55-62 cm)

  © Noel Zaugg / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  They are superbly camouflaged birds with a base color that can be grayish, brownish, or reddish-brown (rufous). The upperparts are flecked with white; the breast and belly are pale with dark, spidery streaks. The face is pale, outlined with dark arcs. The eyes are yellow.

• Behavior

  Western Screech-Owls are nocturnal hunters and are far more often heard than seen. They spend days either in a roost hole or looking out from the entrance, where they are sometimes found by noisy groups of mobbing songbirds.
• Habitat

  They live in forests (particularly among deciduous trees) at elevations up to about 6,000 feet. They are fairly tolerant of people and may be found in suburbs or parks, or attracted to forested backyards with a nest box.

Regional Differences

Western Screech-Owls in the Pacific Northwest tend to be more rufous than in other parts of the range; birds of the Desert Southwest tend to be grayer.

Regional Photos

© Logan Lalonde / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, February 28, 2015

© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryArizona, February 02, 2017