Eastern Screech-Owl

The Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) is a true owl and a member of Strigidae family.

Description
Very small owl with prominent ear tufts, with three morphs and intermediates present.

Length is 18 - 23 cm. Weight is 125 - 250 g, but females average 30 g heavier than the males. Its wingspan is 51 cm.

Greyish-brown and grey morphs are more prominent in the north, while red morphs are more prominent in its southern range.

Greyish-brown morphs have blackish shaft-streaks and thin, dark vermicular markings; while red and grey morphs are overall grey and reddish, respectively.

They have a blackish-edged whitish outer webs of scapulars, which form a white line of spots across the shoulder. Flight feathers are barred dark and light, and the tail has many narrow pale bars.

The upperparts are whitish and have few darker markings, forming prominent longitudinal lines and very faint bars.

The facial disk is light greyish-brown, with finely mottled or vermiculated darker, and a blackish-brown ruff around the disc is much broader on basal half of sides. Has pale eyebrows and bright yellow eyes. The whiskers are light greyish-brown, while the cere and bill are olive-greenish and a yellow tip.

The tarsi are feathered at the base, its toes are greyish-brown, which have yellowish horn-coloured, black-tipped talons.

Chicks are downy and whitish. Mesoptile resembles adult, but is thinly barred light and dark on head, mantle and below.

In flight, it shows pointed wings and plain dorsal plumage.

Similar species
Largely geographically separated Flammulated Owl is much smaller and normally lives at higher altitudes. It has dark brown eyes and rufous markings on greyish-brown background.

Partly sympatric Western Screech-Owl is similar, but has a blackish bill and more coarsely marked underparts.

Also partly overlapping in range, Whiskered Screech-Owl is smaller and more streaked below, with smaller talons.

Behaviour
Its ear tufts can be lowered or raised, showing the bird's mood, such as when it's excited or resting.

Diet
Hunts birds, squirrels and insects.

Calls
Its calls are a mournful whinny, or wail; tremulous, descending in pitch. Sometimes a series on a single pitch.

Reproduction
Its nest is an unlined cavity in a tree.