Pacific screech owl facts for kids
The Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi) is a cool type of owl that lives in Central America. You can find them in countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
These owls are part of the Strigidae family, which includes many different kinds of owls. Even though they look a bit like the western screech owl or eastern screech owl, their calls are very different! Scientists recognize two main groups, or subspecies, of the Pacific screech owl: M. c. cooperi and M. c. lambi.
The IUCN (a group that checks on animals) says the Pacific screech owl is of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. However, their numbers, which are more than 50,000, are slowly going down.
Quick facts for kids Pacific screech owl |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Pacific Screech Owl, Costa Rica, January 2018 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Megascops
|
| Species: |
cooperi
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Otus cooperi (Ridgway, 1878) |
|
Contents
What Does the Pacific Screech Owl Look Like?
The Pacific screech owl is a medium-sized owl. It has cool "ear" tufts on its head, which aren't really ears but feathers that stick up. It also has bright yellow eyes!
The main type, called M. c. cooperi, is about 23 to 26 centimeters (9 to 10 inches) long. It weighs around 145 to 175 grams (5 to 6 ounces).
- Its face is pale gray with a border of white and black.
- Its head and back are a light brownish-gray.
- They have dark, wavy lines and spots.
- When its wings are closed, you can see two light-colored lines.
- Its belly is a lighter off-white color with a darker zigzag pattern.
The other type, M. c. lambi, is a bit smaller. It's about 20 to 22 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long and weighs 115 to 130 grams (4 to 4.5 ounces). It looks similar to the other type but has more dark lines and streaks on its head.
Where Do Pacific Screech Owls Live?
The M. c. lambi subspecies of the Pacific screech owl lives only in a part of Oaxaca, Mexico, near the Pacific Ocean.
The main subspecies, M. c. cooperi, lives in a wider area. It can be found:
- From eastern Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.
- South along the Pacific coast through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
- All the way into northwestern Costa Rica.
- In the southern part of its home range, it can also be found on the upper Caribbean side.
These owls can live in many different places. They like:
- Swamp forests and mangrove trees.
- Dry and semi-dry woodlands with bushes.
- Open areas with a few scattered trees and cacti.
- Forests that are growing back after being cut down (secondary forest).
They can live from sea level up to about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) high in Oaxaca. In Costa Rica, they can be found as high as 1,300 meters (4,300 feet). But usually, they prefer lower elevations.
How Pacific Screech Owls Live
What Do Owls Eat?
Pacific screech owls are mostly active at night (nocturnal). They also hunt during twilight hours, like dawn and dusk (crepuscular).
They hunt from a low branch in clearings or at the edge of woodlands. They catch their food by:
- Pouncing: Dropping down quickly onto their prey.
- Sallying: Flying out from their perch to grab something in the air.
Their diet is mostly large insects. But they also eat other small creatures like scorpions. Sometimes, they even catch small animals like birds and flying squirrels!
Owl Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists don't know a lot about how Pacific screech owls raise their young. They think these owls probably breed during the dry season.
The female owl usually lays three or four eggs. She lays them inside a hole in a tree. Often, these holes are old ones made by woodpeckers.
The Sounds of the Owl
The two types of Pacific screech owls have different main songs.
- The M. c. cooperi owl's song sounds like "prrr pu-pu-PU-PU-PU-pu-pu".
- The M. c. lambi owl's song is a quick, sharp sound like "staccato croarrr-gogogogogogok".
Both types of owls also have other calls they use.
