science education resource

Owl (Eastern Screech)

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Megascops asio
Owl (Eastern Screech)

Range

They are found in eastern North America from eastern Montana and the Great Lakes to Nova Scotia, and south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and northeastern Mexico.

Habitat

They live in wooded areas, orchards, among homes and in parks.

Body Traits

They are small owls, not much bigger than a robin. They have short, rounded wings. Both wings and tail have dark stripes (bars). They are a spotty, rusty-brown to gray color. Their chest and belly are light with dark crosses marking them. They have yellow eyes and beak.

Habits

They are nocturnal, sleeping (roosting) during the day close to the trunks of thick trees or in tree holes. They have 2 kinds of calls, one to mark their territory to other males and one to attract females. Males are territorial.

Diet

They eat small mammals and birds with insects added in the summer. They catch their prey by swooping down and grabbing them with their claws (talons), but can catch flying insects right in their mouths.

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

Females lay 2 – 6 white eggs.

Owl (Eastern Screech)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vetebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Megascops
Species: M. asio

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Owl (Eastern Screech)" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/149 >

Exploringnature.org has more than 2,000 illustrated animals. Read about them, color them, label them, learn to draw them.