Photo: Miguel Alván / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
West Peruvian Screech Owl
Megascops roboratus
West Peruvian Screech Owl (Megascops roboratus) — 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 West Peruvian Screech Owl (Megascops roboratus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 127 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 roboratus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 127 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The West Peruvian 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 West Peruvian Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The West Peruvian Screech Owl (Megascops roboratus) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA sw Ecuador and nw Peru.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 127 g, with a wing length of about 16.5 cm and a tail of around 8.6 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 79,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the West Peruvian Screech Owl?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 127 g.
Where does the West Peruvian Screech Owl live?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA sw Ecuador and nw Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the West Peruvian Screech Owl belong to?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl (Megascops roboratus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the West Peruvian Screech Owl eat?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the West Peruvian Screech Owl migrate?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the West Peruvian 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 West Peruvian Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the West Peruvian Screech Owl — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the West Peruvian Screech Owl's range?
The West Peruvian Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 79,000 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.