Balsas screech owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Balsas screech owl |
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Megascops
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| Species: |
seductus
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Otus seductus R. T. Moore, 1941 |
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The Balsas screech owl (Megascops seductus) is a special type of owl that lives only in Mexico. It belongs to the Strigidae family, which includes many different kinds of owls.
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About the Balsas Screech Owl
The Balsas screech owl is one of the bigger owls in its group. It is about 24 to 27 centimeters (around 9 to 11 inches) long. This owl weighs between 150 and 174 grams (about 5 to 6 ounces).
What Does It Look Like?
This owl has a grayish-brown face with darker marks and a dark edge. Its "ear" tufts, which are feathers that look like ears, are short. The top of its head and its back are also grayish-brown. They have darker streaks and a hint of pink. When its wings are closed, you can see two lines of whitish spots. The owl's belly and chest are lighter than its back. They have thin dark streaks and faint wavy patterns.
Where Do Balsas Screech Owls Live?
This owl lives only in a specific area of southwestern Mexico. Its home is mainly around the valley of the Balsas River. This area stretches from southern Jalisco all the way to central Guerrero.
Owl Habitats
Balsas screech owls like dry, open, or partly open places. You can find them in woodlands with cacti and thorny trees. They also live in areas where forests are growing back. Sometimes, they are seen in tropical scrublands and at the edges of farms. These owls usually live at elevations from 600 to 1500 meters (about 2,000 to 5,000 feet) above sea level.
Balsas Screech Owl Behavior
Like most other screech owls, the Balsas screech owl is active at night. This means it hunts for food when the sun goes down.
What Do They Eat?
Scientists haven't fully studied how these owls hunt. However, we know their diet includes insects and other small creatures like spiders. They also eat small animals with backbones, such as tiny rodents or lizards.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
We don't know much about how Balsas screech owls raise their young. It is thought that they build their nests in holes found in trees or large cacti. This is similar to how other owls in their family nest.
How Do They Communicate?
Both male and female Balsas screech owls sing to mark their territory. Their song is a loud series of rough notes that speed up into a trill. It sounds like a "bouncing-ball" rhythm, something like book-book-bokbokbobobobrrrrr. They might also have a special song for attracting a mate. This song is a series of rough, screaming "whinny" trills. You can listen to their calls here: .
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the Balsas screech owl as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. Before 2014, it was considered "Near Threatened." However, we don't know exactly how many of these owls exist. Their numbers are thought to be decreasing. This is because their natural home is being lost or damaged.
