Eastern Screech-Owl - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio)

ORDER: Strigiformes
FAMILY: Strigidae (Owls - 20 Species)
SPECIES: Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio)

Eastern Screech-Owl
They are active at night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey. These birds mainly search for prey while in flight, but sometimes they perch on low limbs in open woods and along forest edges and swoop down on prey.
SIZE	The Eastern Screech-Owl is a small (6-10") nocturnal, woodland owl.
DESCRIPTION	Both color morphs (gray and Red) are small, stocky, short-tailed and broad winged owls. They have a large round head with feathered ear tufts, yellow eyes and a greenish yellow bill. They have feathered legs and feet. Sexes are similar in appearance except the females are larger. --- See SPECIAL below ---
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 3-5 eggs, which are incubated in 21 to 28 days. The Eastern Screech-Owl pairs usually are monogamous and mate for life. They are strictly nocturnal, roosting during the day in cavities or on limbs close to tree trunks. They nest in tree cavities, either natural or an unoccupied woodpecker nest, they will also use nesting boxes.
RANGE	The Eastern Screech-Owl ranges across the entire eastern half of the United States. They are usually permanent residents; birds at the northern parts of the range may change location. It's cousin the Western Screech-Owl populates the western half of the United States.
HABITAT	Their breeding habitat is deciduous or mixed woods, parks and suburban areas. The Eastern Screech-Owl is often the most common predator in wooded suburban and urban areas.
DIET	They mainly eat large insects and small rodents, as well as small birds.
SPECIAL	The adult Eastern Screech-Owl has two color morphs. Gray Morph: Facial disks dusky white with fine gray-brown mottling with varying amounts of well spaced dark or black streaks. Red Morph: Similar pattern to gray phase except Red morph birds are similarly marked with red replacing the gray. There is an intermediate "Brown Morph" that is quite common.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.

*Eastern Screech-owl* Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes