Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-capped Screech Owl
Megascops atricapilla
Black-capped Screech Owl (Megascops atricapilla) — Owls of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-capped Screech Owl (Megascops atricapilla) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 119 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Megascops
- Species atricapilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 119 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-capped Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-capped Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-capped Screech Owl (Megascops atricapilla) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Paraguay and se Brazil.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 119 g, with a wing length of about 17.1 cm and a tail of around 9.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 990,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-capped Screech Owl?
The Black-capped Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 119 g.
Where does the Black-capped Screech Owl live?
The Black-capped Screech Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA e Paraguay and se Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-capped Screech Owl belong to?
The Black-capped Screech Owl (Megascops atricapilla) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Black-capped Screech Owl eat?
The Black-capped Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-capped Screech Owl migrate?
The Black-capped Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-capped Screech Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-capped Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Black-capped Screech Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-capped Screech Owl's range?
The Black-capped Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 990,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.