Eastern Screech Owl
Scientific name:  Otus asio
Family name:  Strigidae
Are they endangered?  No, they are not endangered worldwide.  [IUCN Red list:  Least concern]

What are their past/present problems?  Their enemies are larger owls, cats, hawks, and jays.  They are also killed when cars hit them.

What do they look like?  Eastern Screech-owls come in two colors called morphs.  The red morph has yellow eyes, a gray-white beak, and red and white lined chests and bellies.  The gray morph has white spots on its wings, light yellow eyes, and a gray body.  They have ear tufts that they raise when they are in danger.

How big are they?  These owls are from 7 to 9 inches long.  If their wings are spread out, they would be about 1 ½ - 2 feet wide.

How many eggs do they lay?  The female lays from 3 to 8 white eggs once a year.  The eggs hatch in about a month.

How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  Their nests are in holes in trees, old woodpecker holes or nest boxes.  The young birds leave the nest in about 28 days.
When do they hunt?  They hunt at night or at dusk.
What do they eat?  They like to eat MICE, birds, insects, crayfish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Where do they live? They live in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
What kind of place do they like to live in? They like to live in forests, swamps with trees, and outside cities.
Interesting facts:
It is hard to tell how many of these birds are in an area because they are so small and their color camouflages [hides] them so well.

Works Cited:

Alderfer, Jonathan.  Complete Birds of North America.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic, 2006.

Alsop, Fred.  Birds of North America.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2001.

Chitwood, Phillip.  “Re: Picture Donation.” [Eastern Screech Owl in tree]  E-mail to Club Web.  11 Feb. 2008.

Eastern screech-owl.  4 Oct. 2007.  <http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/owls/escreech.html>.

Eastern screech-owl.  10 Jan. 2008.  <http://home.bluemarble.net/~pqn/ch71-80/screecho.html#Enemies>.

Megascops asio.  10 Jan. 2008.  <http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/48511/all>.

Vanner, Michael.  Field guide to the birds of North America.  United Kingdom:  Parragon, 2006.

Zim, Herbert.  Birds: a guide to familiar American birds.  New York:  Golden Press, 1987.