Foothill Screech Owl

Overview

The foothill screech owl (Megascops roraimae) is a small owl species within the family Strigidae. It is distributed across several countries in northern and western South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Identification

• Measures 20 to 23 cm in length and weighs between 91 and 128 g.
• Plumage ranges from reddish brown to brown with paler bellies, featuring variable streaks, spots, and vermiculation depending on the subspecies.
• Both pale and dark morphs are present in most subspecies.
• Emits a 'wavering trill' that begins quietly, increases in volume and pitch, then drops slightly in pitch while maintaining steady volume before decreasing at the end.

Habitat

This species inhabits dense humid to wet rainforest, typically between elevations of 250 and 1,500 m, though it may rarely occur up to 1,800 m. Its range spans the Guianan Shield, coastal mountains of northern Venezuela, Andean foothills in Venezuela, eastern Colombia, and eastern Ecuador, as well as eastern Peru and northern Bolivia.

Diet

The diet of the foothill screech owl consists primarily of insects and other arthropods, with the possible inclusion of small vertebrates. Specific hunting practices remain undocumented.

Did you know?

Although its hunting habits and breeding phenology are not documented, it is assumed to nest in tree cavities, either natural or created by other birds, following the pattern of other species in its genus.