Eastern Screech Owl
Megascops asio
Eastern screech owls are found throughout most of eastern North America, from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast and from as south as Florida and Texas to as north as Canada. Compared to other owl species, these birds are much smaller and often get mistaken as baby owls even when they are adults since they only get to be about nine inches tall. They can either be a grayish color or a reddish-brown color and may be spotted with little ear tuffs, called plumicorns, which help them blend into the trees behind them. Screech owls will hunt and eat about anything that they can pick up and carry away. These owls are common in vehicle collisions since their eyes are situated in their head, they cannot see out of their peripheral and when they land on the road to eat, they may not see trucks or cars coming towards them.
Click HERE for an Eastern Screech Owl Activity Sheet!
Our Current Resident
Scout, Male – Hatched April 2013- November 2014 (estimated and celebrated)
Scout was born and lived in the wild where he suffered head trauma due to a vehicle collision. He was then treated and rehabilitated at the Montana Raptor Conservation Center located in Bozeman, Montana before coming to ZooMontana in 2015. In late 2020, his keepers noticed a change in his behavior and after a visit to the vet, it was determined to be caused by pain in his eye, which was then removed. Scout is in the indoor education building near the gift shop. Scout is mostly perched on a branch in the back of his habitat.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Strigiformes
- Family: Strigidae
- Genus: Megascops
- Species: Megascops asio
Animal Facts
Carnivore: mainly eat songbirds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and small mammals
Population Status (according to IUCN): currently listed as Least Concern
Montana Population Status (according to Montana Field Guide): currently listed as Potential Species of Concern
Habitat: wooded areas, but also urban and suburban areas
Activity: crepuscular- mostly active during dusk and dawn
