Photo: Bettina Arrigoni / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Whiskered Screech Owl
Megascops trichopsis
Whiskered Screech Owl (Megascops trichopsis) — Owls of North America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Whiskered Screech Owl (Megascops trichopsis) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 88.3 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 trichopsis
Where it lives
Southeastern Arizona to north-central Nicaragua
Quick facts
- Weight
- 88.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Whiskered 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 Whiskered Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Whiskered Screech Owl (Megascops trichopsis) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA se Arizona to nc Nicaragua.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 88.3 g, with a wing length of about 14.9 cm and a tail of around 7.7 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 661,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Whiskered Screech Owl?
The Whiskered Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 88.3 g.
Where does the Whiskered Screech Owl live?
The Whiskered Screech Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA se Arizona to nc Nicaragua, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Whiskered Screech Owl belong to?
The Whiskered Screech Owl (Megascops trichopsis) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Whiskered Screech Owl eat?
The Whiskered Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Whiskered Screech Owl migrate?
The Whiskered Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Whiskered 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 Whiskered Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Whiskered 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 Whiskered Screech Owl's range?
The Whiskered Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 661,000 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.