Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Bearded Screech Owl
Megascops barbarus
Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 69 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 barbarus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69 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 Bearded 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 Bearded Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA s Mexico and n Guatemala.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69 g, with a wing length of about 13.6 cm and a tail of around 6.6 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 18,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bearded Screech Owl?
The Bearded Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69 g.
Where does the Bearded Screech Owl live?
The Bearded Screech Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA s Mexico and n Guatemala, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Bearded Screech Owl belong to?
The Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Bearded Screech Owl eat?
The Bearded Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bearded Screech Owl migrate?
The Bearded Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bearded 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 Bearded Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Bearded 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 Bearded Screech Owl's range?
The Bearded Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 18,000 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.