Eastern screech owl
The Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) is the smallest owl commonly found in Alabama.
Physical characteristics
Screech owls are generally very small raptors, weighing only 4.3 - 8.6 ounces, with the males being smaller than the females. They range between 6.3 to 9.8" long and have a wingspan of around 22".
Eastern screech owls come in two different color variations,also known as morphs or phases: gray and rufous (reddish brown). It is not currently understood why some screech owls are one color and not the other. They have large heads, no visible necks, and usually erect ear tufts. If seen in the wild, it might be in its "cryptic" pose - standing very erect with its feathers slicked to its body and standing very still, trying to blend in to its surroundings.
Natural history
Eastern screech owls require trees in order to survive successfully - they are not found in treeless habitats. Though they cannot often be sighted in the forest because of their cryptic coloration, or camouflage, sometimes they are harassed out of their roosts by nearby birds upset at their presence. Despite its name, the call of an eastern screech owl is more frequently associated with a soft trill or horse-like whinny.
The natural diet for the eastern screech owl is small prey items such as voles, mice, and small birds. They will also eat a wide variety of insects.
The eastern screech owl usually mates for life, however, there has been noted occurrences of a male taking two female mates, where the second mate may take over the first mate's nest, lay her own eggs, and incubate both clutches. The normal screech owl clutch is between 2 and 6 eggs, laid late spring and hatch in about a month. Nestlings will often fight among themselves for space and food, sometimes resulting in the death of one of the siblings - a not uncommon occurrence in birds of prey called siblicide.
References
- Wilson, Jim and Anselm Atkins (2002) Common Birds of Birmingham 2nd edition. Decatur, Georgia: Hexagon Publishers ISBN 096672402X
- "Eastern Screech-Owl, Life History" All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology - accessed February 5, 2014