Photo: thibaudaronson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Koepcke’s Screech Owl
Megascops koepckeae
Koepcke's Screech Owl (Megascops koepckeae) — 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 Koepcke’s Screech Owl (Megascops koepckeae) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 117 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 koepckeae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 117 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl (Megascops koepckeae) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA nw, c Peru.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 117 g, with a wing length of about 17.1 cm and a tail of around 9 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 160,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Koepcke’s Screech Owl?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 117 g.
Where does the Koepcke’s Screech Owl live?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA nw, c Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Koepcke’s Screech Owl belong to?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl (Megascops koepckeae) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Koepcke’s Screech Owl eat?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Koepcke’s Screech Owl migrate?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Koepcke’s 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 Koepcke’s Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Koepcke’s 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 Koepcke’s Screech Owl's range?
The Koepcke’s Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 160,000 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.