The Eastern Screech Owl

Have you ever heard the term, "screech like a banshee?" This phrase is often used when describing the screech owl. Though this article focuses mainly on eastern screech owls, it has a small bit of information on other owls, such as the western screech owl, owls in general and the great-horned owls.

The eastern screech owl is one of the smallest owls in the world. It measures 7 to 10 inches, weighs 4 to 6 ounces and has a wingspan of 18 to 24 inches. It lives in open woods and urban areas where shade trees are plentiful. It usually lives three to eight years in the wild, but can live up to twelve years in captivity. It ranges from the southern part of Canada all the way to northeastern Mexico. It lives in all states east of the Mississippi River, but is not found in northern Maine. It has been spotted as far west as Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Eastern screech owls have yellow eyes and prominent tufts of feathers on top of its head, which are often mistaken for ears. These owls have two distinct color phases - red and gray. The difference is much like our hair color. It has nothing to do with age or sex, but has more to do with genetics. Eastern screech owls are often incorrectly identified as baby great-horned owls, because of their size.

Screech owls are named for their call. According to folklore, the call of a screech owl means someone is going to die. This is merely superstition. In fact, screech owls have two distinct calls. One is a mournful wailing, sometimes referred to as "the screech of a banshee." The second is a plaintive, tremulous whistle that follows the first call. Screech owls are monogamous and mate for life. They call in synchronized duets and bond by preening each other and rubbing the facial area of their mate. Their territory is small, but they defend it ferociously. They are fiercely aggressive when taking prey. These traits have earned them the nickname, "feathered wildcat."

Screech owls, like all species of owls have 14 vertebrae in their neck. Humans have seven, like all mammals, except two. Owls can turn their heads three quarters of the way around in either direction. This is because their eyes are so big that there is no room in their skulls for muscles to move them. Owls have to turn their heads to focus on a certain spot or object.

Eastern screech owls eat much the same diet as all other owls. They prey on small mammals, such as mice, rats, chipmunks, flying squirrels and bats. They eat songbirds such as robins, bluebirds, ruffed grouse, doves and other screech owls. They like reptiles, like snakes and lizards, as well as small fish, snails, earthworms, grasshoppers and moths. They also eat crickets, centipedes, millipedes and spiders.

Eastern screech owls can be identified from western screech owls by the color of their beaks. The eastern variety has a greenish - gray bill, while the western owl's beak is black. Western screech owls never show the red color phase.

Eastern screech owls will, and often do, live in close proximity to humans. They hunt in meadows, open woods and grassy or bushy areas along highways. Because they fly over roads, transport trucks, cars and other vehicular traffic often hit them. Road kill is the most common cause of death in the eastern screech owl population.

Larger owls, especially the great-horned owl, often prey upon eastern screech owls. Cats are a major predator. They attack young owls and those who have made a kill too large to be carried to a safe perch. Law protects eastern screech owls, like all birds of prey. In Ontario, you have to obtain a license to have any owl preserved by a taxidermist. This even applies to owls that are victims of road kill.

Eastern screech owls make their nests in hollows of trees. They often accept artificial nest boxes willingly. They do not use nesting materials, but lay their eggs on the floor of the cavity. Eggs are laid in clutches of six to eight. Mainly the female does incubation. Once the eggs hatch, both parents share responsibility of caring for the young.

These birds, like all owls, are nocturnal creatures. They aggressively pursue prey by night and perch quietly in trees during the day. They can easily camouflage themselves by blending with the trunks of trees. It is especially hard to spot one of these owls before dusk. They are classified as raptors. Their flight is silent, because of tiny fringe-like structures found on the outer edge of each feather. This allows them to clutch prey in their talons before they are detected.

The eastern screech owl is very common in southeastern Ontario where I live, but it's very secretive. Little is known about its population trends, breeding ecology or distribution. Because of this, Ontario has initiated a Screech Owl Survey.