Tawny-bellied Screech Owl

Overview

The tawny-bellied screech owl (Megascops watsonii) is a small owl species native to northern and eastern South America. It comprises two subspecies and is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, despite being poorly understood.

Identification

• Size 19 to 24 cm in length, with the nominate subspecies weighing 114 to 155 g and M. w. usta weighing 115 to 141 g.
• Nominate features a dark buff facial disc with a thin darker border, dark buff brows over dark yellow eyes, and longish broad ear tufts.
• Plumage of the nominate includes dark gray-brown upperparts with black and buff spots, a dark brown breast with small buff spots, and buff underparts with black streaks and faint white bars on the belly.
• M. w. usta is rufous overall with broader underpart streaks and warm brown eyes, while its primary song is a long series of rapid notes that become faster and louder before fading with a low trill.

Habitat

This species inhabits the interior of lowland rainforests, predominantly old-growth and mature secondary forests, and favours undergrowth to the mid-story below 30 m. Its range spans areas north and south of the Amazon River across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, typically below 600 to 700 m in elevation.

Diet

Little is known about the feeding habits of the tawny-bellied screech owl, but it is nocturnal and forages at lower forest levels. It is believed to feed primarily on insects, possibly supplemented by small vertebrates.

Did you know?

Almost nothing is known about the breeding phenology of this species, with limited documentation such as a September nest found in a dead palm tree containing a very young chick. Another nest was recorded holding two eggs, highlighting how poorly its reproductive habits are understood.