Yungas Screech Owl (Megascops hoyi)

Yungas Screech Owl

Subspecies

Genus	Species	subspecies	Region	Range
Megascops	hoyi		SA	s Bolivia to nw Argentina

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

Grey brown and rufous morphs. Black-bordered facial disc grey-brown with dark markings and white eyebrows. Upperparts dartk vermiculated and streaked. Wings barred. Tail light brown striped, Underside light grey washed brown. Breast and flanks streaked dark.

Listen to the sound of Yungas Screech Owl

[audio:https://planetofbirds.com/MASTER/STRIGIFORMES/Strigidae/sounds/Yungas Screech Owl.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

wingspan min.:	0	cm	wingspan max.:	0	cm
size min.:	23	cm	size max.:	24	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

South America : South Bolivia to Northwest Argentina

Habitat

Forest and cloud forest with thick trees and abundant epiphytes. 1000m to 2600m

Reproduction

Nest in old Woodpecker hole, no further data.

Feeding habits

Mainly insects.

Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Mostly resident, may show some elevation migration during winter.

Distribution map

Yungas Screech Owl distribution range map

Planet of Birds