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Western Screech-Owl Identification

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    Western Screech-Owls are small owls with stocky bodies. They have somewhat square heads, almost no neck, and conspicuous ear tufts. The tail is short.

    Relative Size

    Relative Sizerobin sizedrobin-sized

    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 7.5-9.8 in (19-25 cm)
      • Weight: 3.5-10.8 oz (100-305 g)
      • Wingspan: 21.6-24.4 in (55-62 cm)

    Shape of the Western Screech-Owl© Noel Zaugg / Macaulay Library
  • They are superbly camouflaged birds with a base color that can be grayish, brownish, or reddish-brown (rufous). The upperparts are flecked with white; the breast and belly are pale with dark, spidery streaks. The face is pale, outlined with dark arcs. The eyes are yellow.

    Color pattern of the Western Screech-Owl
    © Logan Lalonde / Macaulay Library
  • Western Screech-Owls are nocturnal hunters and are far more often heard than seen. They spend days either in a roost hole or looking out from the entrance, where they are sometimes found by noisy groups of mobbing songbirds.

  • They live in forests (particularly among deciduous trees) at elevations up to about 6,000 feet. They are fairly tolerant of people and may be found in suburbs or parks, or attracted to forested backyards with a nest box.

    © Laura Keene / Macaulay Library

Regional Differences

Western Screech-Owls in the Pacific Northwest tend to be more rufous than in other parts of the range; birds of the Desert Southwest tend to be grayer.