Subspecies
Genus | Species | subspecies | Region | Range |
Megascops | seductus | MA | sw Mexico |
Genus
The genus Megascops comprises 22 living species are known at present, but new ones are frequently recognized and unknown ones are still being discovered on a regular basis, especially in the Andes. For most of the 20th century, this genus was merged with the Old World scops-owls in Otus, but nowadays it is again considered separate based on a range of behavioral, biogeographical, morphological and DNA sequence data. Screech-owls are restricted to the Americas. Some species formerly placed with them are nowadays considered more distinct.
As usual for owls, female screech-owls are usually larger and fatter than the males of their species, with owls of both sexes being compact in size, shape, and height. The Eastern Screech-owl Megascops asio is one of the smallest species of owls in North America. All of the birds in this genus are small and agile. Screech-owls are generally colored in various brownish hues with usually a whitish, patterned underside, which helps to camouflage them against the bark of trees. Some are polymorphic, occurring in a grayish- and a reddish-brown morph.
Physical charateristics
wingspan min.: | 50 | cm | wingspan max.: | 51 | cm |
size min.: | 24 | cm | size max.: | 26 | cm |
incubation min.: | 0 | days | incubation max.: | 0 | days |
fledging min.: | 0 | days | fledging max.: | 0 | days |
broods: | 0 | eggs min.: | 0 | ||
eggs max.: | 0 |
Range
Habitat
Reproduction
Feeding habits
Video Balsas Screech Owl
copyright: Monica y Hector
Conservation
Megascops seductus has a moderately small range in west-central Mexico, where it is a fairly common resident in Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Morelas and Guerrero. Significant areas of suitable habitat remain, and surveys are likely to find the species locally common at additional sites.
