Photo: Joao Quental / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufescent Screech Owl
Megascops ingens
Rufescent Screech Owl (Megascops ingens) — Owls of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufescent Screech Owl (Megascops ingens) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 165 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 ingens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 165 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 Rufescent 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 Rufescent Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufescent Screech Owl (Megascops ingens) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Venezuela, w Colombia to Bolivia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 165 g, with a wing length of about 19.5 cm and a tail of around 10 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 172,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufescent Screech Owl?
The Rufescent Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 165 g.
Where does the Rufescent Screech Owl live?
The Rufescent Screech Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA Venezuela, w Colombia to Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Rufescent Screech Owl belong to?
The Rufescent Screech Owl (Megascops ingens) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Rufescent Screech Owl eat?
The Rufescent Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufescent Screech Owl migrate?
The Rufescent Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufescent 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 Rufescent Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Rufescent Screech Owl — including its subsong — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufescent Screech Owl's range?
The Rufescent Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 172,000 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.