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Home/Species/ Whiskered Screech-Owl

Megascops trichopsis

(Wagler, 1832)

Whiskered Screech-Owl

G5Secure Found in 28 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Steven Meisel; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Steven Meisel; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Kaleb Anderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Kaleb Anderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Levi Plummer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Levi Plummer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Ben Lucking; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Ben Lucking; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Liam Wolff; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Liam Wolff; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). © Ryan Sanderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Ryan Sanderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100787
Element CodeABNSB01070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderStrigiformes
FamilyStrigidae
GenusMegascops
Synonyms
Otus trichopsis(Wagler, 1832)
Other Common Names
Petit-duc à moustaches (FR) Tecolote Rítmico (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly treated as a subgenus within Otus (Marshall and King in Amadon and Bull 1988), but mitochondrial DNA and vocal differences with Old World species indicate that generic status is warranted (Konig et al. 1999).
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-27
Change Date1996-11-27
Range Extent Comments
RESIDENT: from southeastern Arizona, northeastern Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, San Luis Potosi and Nuevo Leon south through mountains of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to northern Nicaragua (AOU 1983). Primarily at elevations of 4,000-6,000 ft (National Geographic Society 1983) (presumably this pertains to the U.S.).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Dense oak and oak-pine woodlands. Subtropical and lower Temperate zones. Usually found at higher elevations where range overlaps western screech-owl (National Geographic Society 1983). Nests in a natural tree cavity or an abandoned woodpecker hole. Nest trees in Arizona include oak, walnut, sycamore, and juniper.

Ecology

Territory size in pine-oak habitat is about 300 m in diameter. Home range of breeding pairs ranged from 1.9 to 5.0 (mean 3.3) linear hectares along permanent creek; this equivalent to 1525 to 1550 meters of creek (Gehlbach and Gehlbach 2000).

Reproduction

Eggs found in Arizona suggest laying in April. Clutch size is 3-4.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS3Yes
New MexicoS1B,S1NYes
Roadless Areas (28)
Arizona (25)
AreaForestAcres
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Upper Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,533
Upper Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,533
Upper Rincon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,991
Upper Rincon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,991
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
References (32)
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  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Banks, R.C., C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., J. A. Rising, and D. F. Stotz. 2003. Forty-fourth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 120(3):923-931.
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