Western Screech Owl - Sierra Club BC
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Western Screech Owl

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Western Screech Owl

Megascops kennicottii 

Appearance

Western screech owls are small nocturnal birds with bright yellow eyes. They have grey and red-brown plumage that looks like a beard. 

Range & Habitat

These particular owls are found most commonly in B.C. on southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, but are also spotted from Alaska to Baja California. 

Reciprocal relationships

The western screech owl is a unique being that lives in low-elevation, woodland areas adjacent to streams. They are an indicator species for riparian areas. This means that if there is an abundant population of screech owls, the ecosystem is likely also healthy. 
  
Their hooting can be heard from February when mating season begins and is most often a muted “hoo…oo…oo” (like a bouncing ball). Their favourite foods are rodents, insects, and small birds. By predating these species, they help maintain the balance of ecosystems. In turn, goshawks, hawks, other owls (even other screech owls), and carnivorous mammals prey on screech owls. When threatened, western screech owls tighten their feathers and stretch out to look like a branch to avoid being found. 

Most screech owls lay two or three eggs. The incubation period is about 26 days, and the fledgling period is about 35 days. The western screech owl is currently a threatened species. This owl needs riparian woodlands for nesting and hunting; many of these areas have been logged or used for urban development or agriculture. Through working to protect the western screech owl, we also protect many other species in their food chain.

status

COSEWIC: Threatened subspecies, not assessed for total population 
CDC: Blue 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.   

photo credit

Canva

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