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 , birds, insects, crayfish, reptiles, and
amphibians.
Slow computer?
Right click here,
"Save target as"
and download the
video. On some computers, you may
need to click twice for the Media Player to work.
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 fact:
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.
