Hear a story about the eastern screech-owl.
Hear an eastern screech-owl.

adapted from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

The eastern screech-owl is a bird of prey and one of 15 owl species that have been documented in Texas. Eastern and western screech-owls were formerly considered a single species known simply as the screech-owl, but they are now separated into two distinct species. The eastern screech owl ranges across the entire eastern half of the United States and inhabits woodlands, parks and suburban yards throughout much of the state. The western screech-owl replaces the eastern in similar habitats in the Trans-Pecos. Their ranges overlap in Texas near the Pecos River.

Screech-owls stand about eight inches tall and have large heads and large, immobile yellow eyes. The bill of the eastern screech-owl is usually a pale greenish yellow while that of the western species is black. Like other owl species, they have long sharp talons for catching prey.

The eastern screech-owl has both red and gray phases, which are not related to sex or age and may be present in the same brood. The rusty red form predominates in the southern states, while the gray one is more common in the North and, for some unknown reason, in southern Texas. The western screech-owl occurs only in the gray phase in Texas. The two are most easily separated by their calls.

The most nocturnal of the owls, screech-owls do most of their hunting in the first few hours after dark. The are opportunistic feeders and their diets depend on their specific environments. Large insects and small mammals occupy a prominent place on a menu that also includes reptiles, amphibians, spiders, scorpions, earthworms, snails and an occasional bird. Frequent bathers, these little owls also plunge into shallow water after small fish and crayfish.

Screech-owls nest in tree cavities and old woodpecker holes and accept nest boxes readily. Blending with tree branches and foliage, they erect their feathered "ear" tufts and close their eyes to narrow slits. When threatened they snap their bills to produce a loud popping sound. As with other owl species, screech-owls are often "mobbed" on their daytime roosts by jays and flocks of small songbirds. Birders, in fact, imitate their calls to lure other species within view.

More Facts... Three screech-owl species inhabit North America--the eastern, western and whiskered. The whiskered screech-owl is found in southern Arizona and Mexico and lives at higher elevations than the western screech-owl (around 4,000 to 6,000 feet). The eastern screech-owl has two different vocalizations. The first is a series of quavering whistles descending in pitch; the second is a long, single trill. The female lays four or five white, nearly round eggs, as is typical for most owl species. Cavity nesters have no need for camouflage colors, nor can rounded eggs roll from the nest. The males feed the incubating females, and both feed and tend the downy white chicks that fledge four weeks after hatching.

More Links Information and photo of the eastern screech-owl with a map of its range. USGS website with photos and scientific data on the eastern screech-owl. Nest box plans for screech-owls. (Requires Acrobat Reader) Other "Bird of the Month" owl species -- barn owl and burrowing owl.