Middle American screech owl

Last updated

Middle American screech owl
Middle American screech owl (Megascops guatemalae guatemalae) Orange Walk.jpg
Megascops guatemalae guatemalae, Belize
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Megascops
Species:
M. guatemalae
Binomial name
Megascops guatemalae
(Sharpe, 1875)
Synonyms

Otus guatemalae(Sharpe, 1875)

The Middle American screech owl (Megascops guatemalae), also known as the Guatemalan screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from northern Mexico to northern Nicaragua. [3] [1]

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

The taxonomy of the Middle American screech owl is somewhat unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these five subspecies but notes that fuscus and dacrysistactus might not be distinct enough to warrant subspecies status. [3]

The North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS/NACC)) and the Clements taxonomy adds another, M. g. thompsoni. The IOC includes M. g. thompsoni within the nominate M. g. guatemalae.

Description

The Middle American screech owl is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 95 to 150 g (3.4 to 5.3 oz). It is dimorphic, with one morph overall grayish-brown and the other overall rufous. Unlike other owls of the same genus, it has feathered feet. The brown morph has a light brown facial disc with a thin dark border, thin white brows over yellow eyes, and short dark "ear" tufts. Its crown and upperparts range from dark gray brown to blackish brown; the crown has blackish spots and bars and the back has darker streaks and vermiculations. The fairly long tail is barred. The underparts are paler with conspicuous longitudinal stripes and some horizontal stripes. The beak is greenish. The rufous morph is overall reddish and the various streaks and stripes are less distinct. The various subspecies are similar, differing mainly in size (which increases north to south) and the intensity of the colors. [4]

Distribution and habitat

The five subspecies of Middle American screech owl recognized by the IOC are found thus: [3]

The Yucatán and Cozumel populations are treated as M. g. thompsoni by the AOS/NACC and Clements. [5] [6]

The Middle American screech owl inhabits several types of humid to semi-arid landscapes including evergreen, semi-deciduous, and thorn forest, and to a lesser extent secondary forest and plantations. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). [4]

Behavior

Feeding

The Middle American screech owl is nocturnal; it hunts mostly by swooping on prey from a perch and also by catching it in flight. Its diet is mostly large insects but sometimes includes small vertebrates. [4]

Breeding

Little is known about the Middle American screech owl's breeding phenology. It apparently nests mostly in March and April but may extend that into Jun. The clutch of two or three eggs is laid in a natural tree cavity or abandoned woodpecker hole. [4]

Vocalization

The Middle American screech owl's principal territorial song is "a rapid, quavering trill...increasing in pitch and volume, [and] ending abruptly". Its secondary song is a "short series of notes...in bouncing-ball rhythm." [4]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the Middle American screech owl as being of Least Concern. [1] However, its population is unknown and potentially faces threat from habitat loss. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern screech owl</span> Species of owl

The eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl, is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican owl</span> Species of owl

The Puerto Rican owl or múcaro común, formerly known as the Puerto Rican screech owl, is a mid-sized "typical owl" in subfamily Striginae. It is endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico though it formerly also inhabited the Virgin Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-backed wren</span> Species of bird

The rufous-backed wren is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is a resident breeding species from southwest Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central American pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Central American pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-capped screech owl</span> Species of owl

The black-capped screech owl, or variable screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bearded screech owl</span> Species of owl

The bearded screech owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Striginae. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical screech owl</span> Species of owl

The tropical screech owl is a small species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, and every mainland South American country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific screech owl</span> Species of owl

The Pacific screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The Pacific screech owl has sometimes been treated as a race of western screech owl or eastern screech owl but its vocalizations are distinct from theirs. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate M. c. cooperi and M. c. lambi. The latter has also sometimes been treated as a separate species. The IUCN has assessed the Pacific screech owl as being of Least Concern. Its population is estimated to exceed 50,000 mature individuals but is believed to be decreasing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yungas screech owl</span> Species of owl

The Yungas screech owl, also known as montane forest screech-owl and Hoy's screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufescent screech owl</span> Species of owl

The rufescent screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinnamon screech owl</span> Species of owl

The cinnamon screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in the Andes of Ecuador and Peru and possibly Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Peruvian screech owl</span> Species of owl

The West Peruvian screech owl or Peruvian screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tufted screech owl</span> Species of owl

The long-tufted screech owl is a species of "typical owl" in the subfamily Striginae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tawny-bellied screech owl</span> Species of owl

The tawny-bellied screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guatemalan pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Guatemalan pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. However, some taxonomic systems consider it to be a subspecies of northern pygmy owl. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foothill screech owl</span> Species of owl

The foothill screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocó screech owl</span> Species of owl

The Chocó screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from central Panama to western Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermiculated screech owl</span> Species of owl

The vermiculated screech owl, is a subspecies of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated toucanet</span> Species of bird

The black-throated toucanet is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veracruz wren</span> Species of bird native to Mexico

The Veracruz wren is a songbird of the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Guatemalan Screech-owl Megascops guatemalae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. 1 2 3 Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)" . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Holt, D. W., R. Berkley, C. Deppe, P. L. Enríquez, J. L. Petersen, J. L. Rangel Salazar, K. P. Segars, K. L. Wood, G. M. Kirwan, and J. S. Marks (2020). Middle American Screech-Owl (Megascops guatemalae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.vesowl.01 retrieved August 5, 2021
  5. "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 15, 2019

Further reading