Whiskered screech owl
| Whiskered screech owl | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Megascops |
| Species: | M. trichopsis
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| Binomial name | |
| Megascops trichopsis (Wagler, 1832)
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| Subspecies | |
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See text. | |
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| Synonyms | |
|
Otus trichopsis | |
The whiskered screech owl (Megascops trichopsis) is a small screech owl found in North and Central America.
Description[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
There are 3 recognized subspecies:[3]
- Megascops trichopsis aspersus Brewster, 1888
- Megascops trichopsis mesamericanus (Van Rossem, 1932)
- Megascops trichopsis trichopsis (Wagler, 1832)
References[edit]
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Megascops trichopsis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22688766A93208062. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688766A93208062.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Megascops trichopsis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- "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[edit]
- Photo-High Res; Article "Birds of Honduras"
- Whiskered Screech Owl photo gallery VIREO
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Megascops
- Birds of Guatemala
- Birds of El Salvador
- Birds of Honduras
- Birds of Nicaragua
- Native birds of the Southwestern United States
- Birds of Mexico
- Natural history of the Mexican Plateau
- Birds of the Sierra Madre Occidental
- Birds of the Sierra Madre Oriental
- Birds of the Sierra Madre del Sur
- Birds of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
- Birds described in 1832
- Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler
- Owls of North America