Photo: Raul Herbster / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tropical Screech Owl
Megascops choliba
Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) — Owls of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 132 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 choliba
Quick facts
- Weight
- 132 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tropical Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Tropical Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 132 g, with a wing length of about 16.3 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 13.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tropical Screech Owl?
The Tropical Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 132 g.
Where does the Tropical Screech Owl live?
The Tropical Screech Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Tropical Screech Owl belong to?
The Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Tropical Screech Owl eat?
The Tropical Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Tropical Screech Owl migrate?
The Tropical Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tropical 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 Tropical Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Tropical Screech Owl — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Tropical Screech Owl's range?
The Tropical Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 13.1 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.
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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.