Middle American screech owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Middle American screech owl |
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| M. g. guatemalae, Belize | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Megascops
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| Species: |
guatemalae
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| Synonyms | |
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Otus guatemalae (Sharpe, 1875) |
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The Middle American screech owl (Megascops guatemalae), also called the Guatemalan screech owl, is a type of owl. It belongs to the family Strigidae, which includes most owls. These owls live in many countries, from northern Mexico to western Panama.
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About This Owl's Family Tree
Scientists group living things into categories. This is called taxonomy. The way the Middle American screech owl is grouped can be a bit tricky. Different groups of scientists sometimes have slightly different ideas.
For example, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes six main types, or subspecies, of this owl. But they also note that some of these types are very similar.
- M. g. hastatus
- M. g. cassini
- M. g. fuscus
- M. g. guatemalae
- M. g. dacrysistactus
- M. g. vermiculatus
Until recently, the IOC thought vermiculatus was a completely separate owl species. Other groups, like the American Ornithological Society (AOS/NACC), had already grouped it with the Middle American screech owl. Another group, BirdLife International, still sees vermiculatus as its own species.
What Does the Middle American Screech Owl Look Like?
This owl is about 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long. That's about the size of a small ruler. It weighs between 95 to 150 g (3.4 to 5.3 oz), which is lighter than a can of soda.
These owls can be found in two main colors. This is called being dimorphic. One color is a grayish-brown, and the other is a reddish-brown, called rufous.
Unlike some other owls in its group, this owl has feathers on its feet. The brown owls have a light brown face with a thin dark edge. They have thin white "eyebrows" above their yellow eyes. They also have short, dark "ear" tufts on their heads.
Their top feathers are dark gray-brown to blackish-brown. The top of their head has dark spots and lines. Their back has darker streaks and wavy patterns. Their tail is quite long and has stripes. The feathers on their belly are lighter with clear stripes going up and down, and some stripes going across. Their beak is greenish.
The reddish-brown owls are mostly reddish. Their stripes and patterns are not as clear as on the brown owls. The different types of these owls look similar. They mainly differ in size, getting bigger from north to south, and how bright their colors are.
Where Do Middle American Screech Owls Live?
The Middle American screech owl lives in many different places. These include forests that are always green, forests that lose some leaves, and thorny forests. They can also be found in forests that have grown back after being cut down, and in tree farms.
They live from sea level up to about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) high in the mountains.
Here's where the different types of these owls are found:
- M. g. hastatus lives in western Mexico.
- M. g. cassini lives in eastern Mexico.
- M. g. fuscus lives in central Veracruz, Mexico.
- M. g. guatemalae lives from southeastern Mexico, through Belize and Guatemala, into Honduras. This includes the Yucatán Peninsula.
- M. g. dacrysistactus lives in northern Nicaragua.
- M. g. vermiculatus lives in eastern Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama.
How Middle American Screech Owls Behave
Feeding Habits
The Middle American screech owl is a nocturnal animal. This means it is active at night. It hunts mostly by flying down from a branch to catch its prey. It also catches insects while flying. Its main food is large insects. Sometimes, it will also eat small animals with backbones.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists do not know much about how these owls reproduce. They seem to nest mostly in March and April. However, they might continue nesting into June. The female owl lays two or three eggs. She lays them in a natural hole in a tree or in a hole made by a woodpecker that is no longer used.
Owl Sounds: Vocalization
The main song of the Middle American screech owl is a fast, shaky trill. This sound gets higher in pitch and louder. Then it stops suddenly. Its second song is a short series of notes that sound like a bouncing ball.
What is the Owl's Conservation Status?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of how many animals are left in the wild. They have looked at the Middle American screech owl and the vermiculated screech owl separately. Both are listed as being of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
We don't know exactly how many of these owls there are. However, scientists believe their numbers are slowly going down. No immediate dangers have been found for them. But, they could face problems if their habitat (the place where they live) is destroyed.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) also lists the Middle American screech owl. It is in Appendix II. This means that trading these owls across borders is controlled to make sure it doesn't harm their populations.
