Are they endangered?
They are not endangered. (IUCN Red List: Least concern)
What are their
past/present problems?
Their biggest problem is habitat loss from people cutting down
trees where they live.
What do they look
like?
They have yellow eyes and a gray bill. The screech owl has a
white belly with gray or brown streaks. Their backs are gray or
brown with white spots. They have ear tufts.
How big are they?
This owl is about 6-8 inches long. If its wings were stretched
out in flying, they would be about 16-18 inches wide.
How many eggs do they
lay?
The birds lay between 2 and 4 white eggs once a year. Hatch in
26 days.
How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
They like to nest in holes in trees that they find or that were
left by other birds. The young birds [owlets] stay in the nest
for a month.
When do they hunt?
They hunt at night. (nocturnal)
What do they eat?
They like to eat insects and other invertebrates, including
spiders and centipedes. They also eat small mammals like
Screech-owl
video
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Where do they live?
They live in the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Nicaragua.
What kind of place do
they like to live in?
They live in at the bottom of mountains and in forests with pine
or oak trees.
Interesting facts:
They do not migrate because they live in warmer areas.
Their owlets start out all white.
They have very good hearing and see very well at night.
They sit and sleep on a limb that is close to the trunk
of the tree during the day.
Works Cited:
Alsop, Fred. Birds of North America. New York: DK
Publishing, 2001.
