A short series of high toots accelerating through the night announces the presence of a western screech owl. Eastern screech owl whiskered screech owl western screech owl size. Screech owls favor areas near water and eat. The western screech owl otus kennicottii is a small owl with a height of 10 inches and a 20 inch wingspan. 55 62cm 216 244 in western screech owl range. Males 131g 46 oz females 157g 55 oz wingspan both.
Found in urban parks and residential areas as well as wilder places. The western screech owl uses a wide variety of habitats in their western range of north america. They exist in. Western screech owl western screech owl little horned owl dusk owl ghost owl mouse owl cat owl little cat owl puget sound screech owl washington screech owl coastal screech owl. Western north america from southeast alaska through western mexico. A year round resident throughout washington it nests in tree cavities including old woodpecker holes but will also use nest boxes.
They can be found from the northern temperate rain forests to the southern sonoran deserts. Males 19 23cm 75 91 in females 21 25cm 83 98 in weight. Description of the screech owl. In general their habitat should provide adequate roosting sites with open areas for foraging in liu of dense forests and an abundance of small mammals. The western screech owl megascops kennicottii is a small owl native to north and central america closely related to the european scops owl and the description length averages 22 cm 87 in wingspan 55 cm 22 in and weight 143 g 50 oz. These compact owlsnot much taller than a standard pair of binocularshunt in woods and deserts of western north america where their wide ranging diet includes everything from worms and crayfish to rats and bats.
Weight ranges from 88 to 220 g 31 to 78 oz. East to texas and. Though not the smallest species in the world or even in the americas these owls are still pint sized. They stand in at just 7 10 inches tall with an 18 24 inch wingspan. Adults are dark brown or gray with small ear tufts. Western screech owls are small birds of prey native to north and central america.