| West Peruvian screech owl | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Megascops |
| Species: | M. roboratus |
| Binomial name | |
| Megascops roboratus (Bangs & Noble, 1918) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Otus roboratus Bangs & Noble, 1918 | |
The West Peruvian screech owl or Peruvian screech owl (Megascops roboratus) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. [3]
The West Peruvian screech owl has sometimes been treated as conspecific with the tropical screech owl (M. choliba) though their vocalizations are distinct. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate M. r. roboratus and M. r. pacificus. The latter has been suggested as a species in its own right. [3] [4] [5]
The nominate subspecies of West Peruvian screech owl is 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in) long and weighs 144 to 162 g (5.1 to 5.7 oz). It has both gray and rufous morphs. The former has a grayish facial disc with a black border, white brows above pale to golden yellow eyes, and small "ear" tufts. The crown is blackish brown and the upperparts gray brown with slight darker bars. It has a pale nuchal collar. Its underparts are whitish with faint vermiculation. The rufous morph is pale rufous all over with dark brown markings. [4]
M. r. pacificus is smaller and lighter than the nominate, 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long and weighing 70 to 90 g (2.5 to 3.2 oz). Its gray morph is typically grayer than the nominate but there is much overlap. Its rufous morph is more common than that of the nominate. [4]
The pacificus subspecies of West Peruvian screech owl is found from Santa Elena and Guayas Provinces in southwestern Ecuador south slightly into northwestern Peru as far as Lambayeque Province. The nominate M. r. roboratus is found inland, in the drainages of the Río Chinchipe and Río Marañón between the western and central Andes. [3] [4]
M. r. roboratus inhabits dry deciduous woodland, on mountain slopes and hills. In elevation it mostly ranges between 500 and 1,200 m (1,600 and 3,900 ft) but is found as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft) in Eduador and 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in Peru. M. r. pacificus inhabits dry coastal scrub and deciduous forest, generally from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft). [4]
As far as is known, the West Peruvian screech owl is strictly nocturnal. Its diet is mostly, and possibly exclusively, insects. [4]
Both subspecies have been documented to nest in tree cavities, and the nominate has also possibly used old nests of the Pale-legged Hornero (Furnarius leucopus). Little else is known. [4]
The nominate West Peruvian screech owl's song is "a trill of equally spaced notes increasing in volume toward the end". That of M. r. pacificus is "a similar trill that rises in volume and drops slightly in pitch at toward the end". [4]
The IUCN has assessed the West Peruvian screech owl as being of Least Concern. [1] However, it is "overall rare and possibly vulnerable" and "much habitat [has been] rendered unsuitable" by grazing and woodcutting. [4]
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 resides in most types of woodland habitats across its range, and is relatively adaptable to urban and developed areas compared to other owls. Although it often lives in close proximity to humans, the eastern screech owl frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.
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.
The white-throated screech owl is a small owl found in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
The ocellated poorwill is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru.
The Pacific pygmy owl or Peruvian pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.
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.
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.
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.
The Middle American screech owl, also known as the Guatemalan screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from northern Mexico to western Panama.
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.
The rufescent screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Koepcke's screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Peru.
The cloud-forest screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
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.
The long-tufted screech owl is a species of "typical owl" in the subfamily Striginae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
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.
The sharp-billed canastero or lesser canastero is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and has also occurred as a vagrant in Brazil.
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.
The Chocó screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from central Panama to western Ecuador.
The vermiculated screech owl, is a subspecies, or possibly separate species, of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.
