Bearded Screech-owl
A species of Screech owls Scientific name : Megascops barbarus Genus : Screech owls
Bearded Screech-owl, A species of Screech owls
Botanical name: Megascops barbarus
Genus: Screech owls
Content
Description
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Description
Adults have a length of 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) and weigh 58–79 g (2.0–2.8 oz); their wingspan is undocumented. Females are, on average, heavier than males. The ear tufts are very small. There is a light brown and reddish-brown morph. The face veil is light with a thin dark border. The top has brown, white and black spots, the spots on the upper mantle are a strong white. The shoulder feathers have black-fringed whitish outer flags. The chest has a thick brown and yellow-brown banding. Flanks and belly are white and show dark shaft streaks. The barrel is feathered. The wings extend beyond the short tail. The iris is yellow. The beak is greenish-gray. The toes are pink-gray. Representatives of the reddish-brown patterned morphs are less strong and the markings on the top and bottom are reddish brown. Their call is a short fast trills 3:00 to 5:00 seconds duration, its volume increases at the beginning and end abruptly drops.
Size
13 - 23 cm
Life Expectancy
4 years
Feeding Habits
Bearded Screech-owl primarily consumes invertebrates, including beetles, crickets, moths, spiders, cockroaches, caterpillars, and scorpions. It hunts these at night using keen eyesight and hearing, often from a perch before swooping down on prey, exhibiting unique nocturnal foraging behavior.
Habitat
Bearded Screech-owl is typically found in humid montane forests in broader geographical regions that feature a temperate humid climate. Its habitat primarily consists of pine-oak forests, oak forests, and cloud forests. Within these ecosystems, bearded Screech-owl coexists with diverse tree species such as various types of Quercus, Oreopanax xalapensis, Rapanea juergensenii, species of Pinus, Cleyera theaeoides, Persea americana, Styrax argenteus, and an assortment of Drimys, Miconia, and Rhamnus.
Dite type
Insectivorous
Photo By Nigel Voaden
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Owls Family
True owls Genus
Screech owls Species
Bearded Screech-owl