|
|
 |
| MEASUREMENTS: The Western Screech-Owl has a body length of 8 - 9 inches, a wingspan of 18 - 24 inches, and weighs 5 - 9 ounces. Western Screech-Owls are slightly larger than Eastern Screech-Owls. |
 HABITAT: This owl is found in woodlands, deserts, riparian forests, and parks or large gardens in suburban areas. These owls are distributed in western North America from southeast Alaska to western Texas and Mexico. |
| DIET: The Western Screech-Owl eats insects, small mammals, birds, and some reptiles and amphibians. Their hunting strategy is to wait on a perch and then swoop down onto approaching prey or to chase the prey for short distances. This owl will sometimes walk along the ground looking for prey. |
| REPRODUCTION: The Western Screech-Owl nests in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes in trees or Giant Saguaro Cactus, man-made nest boxes, or holes in cliffs. The female lays 3 - 7 eggs that are incubated for 26 days. Both parents feed the young owls. The young owls will leave the nest in about a month, but will be tended by the parents for another 5 - 6 weeks. |
| NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word otus, referring to a “horned” owl, and the Latinized name for the American naturalist Robert Kennicott. The common name indicates its range in North America. Screech-owls have also been known as Little Grey Owl, Mottled Owl, Little Cat Owl, and Scritch Owl. |
INTERESTING FACTS:
- Screech-owls are one of the most common owls in the United States.
- The word owl came from the Anglo-Saxon word ule, that was derived from the Latin word ululo, which means to cry out. Owls often have an eerie call that is mostly uttered at night. The Western Screech-Owl does not screech, but instead uses a trill of hoots similar to a fast bouncing ball.
|
|
|
|
|
