Photo: DickDaniels (https://theworldbirds.org/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Eastern Screech Owl
Megascops asio
Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) — Owls of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 180 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 asio
Where it lives
Southeastern, south-central Canada to northeastern Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 180 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Eastern Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Eastern Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA se, sc Canada to ne Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 180 g, with a wing length of about 16.9 cm and a tail of around 7.8 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 4.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Eastern Screech Owl?
The Eastern Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 180 g.
Where does the Eastern Screech Owl live?
The Eastern Screech Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA se, sc Canada to ne Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Eastern Screech Owl belong to?
The Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Eastern Screech Owl eat?
The Eastern Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Eastern Screech Owl migrate?
The Eastern Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Eastern 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 Eastern Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Eastern 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 Eastern Screech Owl's range?
The Eastern Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 4.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Strigidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
More in Owls
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
How to Attract Eastern Screech-Owl to Your Yard
How to attract Eastern Screech-Owl to your yard — the habitat, water and plantings that bring them in (they aren't a seed-feeder bird), plus nesting help.
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.