Are they endangered?No,
these birds are not endangered worldwide. [IUCN Red
list: Least concern]
What are their
past/present problems?
Their enemies are jays, crows, and bigger owls. Magpies
are also their enemy which is kind of interesting since
the Western Screech-owl likes to take over magpie nests
when they are done with them.
What do they look
like?
Western Screech-owls have big, round, dark yellow eyes
and ear tufts.
How big are they?
They are between 8 and 10 inches long. If they spread
them out, their wings would be 1 ½ - 2 feet wide. They
also accept nesting boxes.
How many eggs do they
lay?
The female lays from 2 to 6 white eggs once a year. The
eggs hatch in about a month.
How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
They live in woodpecker holes or in a hole that is
already in a tree. They don’t actually make nests. The
babies [owlets] stay in the hole (nest) for about 28
days.
When do they hunt?
They hunt at night or at dusk.
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What do they eat?
They like to eat insects, birds, spiders, and small mammals like
Where do they live?
They live in Canada, the United States, Central America, Mexico,
and in some countries of South America.
What kind of place do
they like to live in?
They like to live in the woods, in deserts, parks, or in forests
by water.
Interesting fact:
Western Screech-owls will sit really close to the trunks
of trees during the day. Their coloring camouflages
them.
Works Cited:
Alsop, Fred. Birds
of North America. New York: DK Publishing, 2001.
