The Western Screech Owl (Megascopts kennicottii), is a small owl native to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. It has been known as Kennicott’s Screech Owl, Vinaceous Screech Owl, Guadeloupe Screech Owl, California Screech Owl, Pasadena Screech Owl, and Yuma Screech Owl. It lives in temperate forests, subtropical and tropical forests, open woods, shrub lands, upland deserts, deciduous river bottoms, mesquite groves, rural fields, gardens, and suburban parks and gardens.
This 8.5 inch long, 5 ounce bird has a round head with ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a yellowish bill. It looks much like a Whiskered or Eastern Screech Owl. The best way to correctly identify it is by its call, an accelerating series of short whistles at an increasing tempo. It also has a short then long trill that falls slightly at the end of the call. Sometimes, it barks or chuckles like the Eastern variety.
There are grey and red morphs. The grey morphs (Brown Pacific, Grey Pacific, Great Plains, Mojave, Mexican) have either brown or dark gray plumage with streaking underneath. The red morph is rare, has a subdued cinnamon-buff color, and is found in coastal British Columbia and Alaska.
It lays 2-7 white eggs in directly in cavities. It builds its nest wherever there is a cavity (cliffs, trees, cacti). It will even use old woodpecker or flicker holes already in trees and nesting boxes. The eggs are laid in 1 to 2 day intervals and they hatch in approximately 26 days.
The young look very much like the Eastern Screech Owl. The young are born with solid white plumage that eventually fades to a brownish-gray color. This plumage will be replaced with a different plumage that has darker upper parts and lighter under parts. As the owl matures, the coloring changes in streaks, bars, and sharpness. Owlets may leave the nest when they are 28 days old but their parents continue to care for them for about 6 more weeks.
The Western Screech Owl likes to wait on perches to swoop down on its prey. It uses its excellent hearing and night vision to hunt at night or dusk for small mammals, birds, and large insects to eat. In deserts and watery areas, it tends to eat lizards, frogs, and crayfish. Its diet can vary depending on the time of year, area, and what is available.
It lives a sedentary life and rarely moves except to seek out new territory when it leaves the nest. It can survive for up to 13 years.
