|
Class:
|
Aves
|
|
Order:
|
Strigiformes
|
|
Family:
|
Strigidae
|
|
Genus:
|
Otus
|
|
Species:
|
kennicottii
|
|
Lifespan:
|
About 13 years in the wild
About 19 years under human care |
|
Reproduction:
|
Females lay 2 to 7 eggs per season in March or April. Hatching occurs within 26 to 34 days.
|
|
Size:
|
7.48 – 10 in. long
Wingspan 6.63 – 6.87 in. wide |
|
Weight:
|
Approximately 6 oz
|
|
Range:
|
Western North America, northwestern Mexico, and coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest
|
|
Habitat:
|
Inhabit low elevation riparian and deciduous oak woodland communities. Also inhabit streamside groves, parks, and gardens.
|
|
Diet:
|
Commonly eat small mammals, birds, worms, insects, and fish
|
|
Description:
|
A small owl with feathered ear tufts. Plumage is generally brown or gray. The face is usually pale with a dark lateral border, underparts are streaked and barred. They have yellow eyes and dark bills.
|
Fun Facts:
-
Prior to breeding, courtship feeding is common with the male presenting food to the female. The male also demonstrates elaborate courtship displays including bowing, bill snapping, and hopping.
-
Western screech owls prefer to nest in tree cavities or nest boxes.
-
As "sit and wait" predators, Western screech owls leave their roosts to forage just before sunset.
Back to Birds
Photo by Shravans14 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.
