OwlsWhiskered Screech-OwlMegascops trichopsis
- ORDER: Strigiformes
- FAMILY: Strigidae
Basic Description
The Whiskered Screech-Owl announces its presence with rapid Morse code-like tooting in mountain woodlands and forests from southeastern Arizona to northern Nicaragua. This small owl, which comes in both gray and rufous morphs, has whiskerlike feathers around its eyes and a pale yellow bill. Whiskered Screech-Owls forage at night for insects, reptiles, and small mammals, and nest in natural cavities and old woodpecker holes. Because of its nocturnal habits and similarity to other screech-owls, it's best identified by its two distinctive hooting songs.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Autillo Bigotudo (Spanish)
- Petit-duc à moustaches (French)
- Cool Facts
- Whiskered Screech-Owls live in tree cavities but can't excavate them on their own; they're reliant on natural cavities and woodpecker holes. Other so-called secondary cavity nesters in the neighborhood include Western Screech, Flammulated, Elf, Northern Pygmy, and Spotted Owls, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied, Brown-crested, and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Bridled Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Bewick’s Wren.
- Whiskered Screech-Owls, along with some other owls, appear to have intricate relationships with blind snakes and tree ants. The owls capture blind snakes as food for nestlings, but if the snakes escape being eaten, they remain in the nest cavity and eat ant and fly larvae. Tree ants bite and spray repellent at intruders, while leaving the young owls alone.