Library #36 · D Woodland · Wave 2

Eastern Screech-Owl

Megascops asio · Strigidae

Tiny backyard owl with a haunting tremolo — not much of a screech.

At a glance

Size: 6.3–9.8 in
Wingspan: 18–24 in
Habitat: Woodlots, suburbs, parks with cavities
Diet: Insects, small mammals, birds, worms

Range: Eastern North America

Nesting: No nest built — eggs on cavity debris; accepts nest boxes.

Coloring pose idea: In tree cavity entrance, ear tufts up

Hear this bird

General call / song: Mournful descending whinny and a soft monotone tremolo.

Mating / display: Tremolo duets between pair; bill-clicking at the nest.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Small, ear-tufted; gray or rufous color morphs.
Yellow eyes; intricate camouflage pattern.
Often stares from a nest-box hole by day.

Behavior

Nests in cavities and owl boxes.
Surprisingly common in suburbs with big trees.
Hunts from a perch at dusk.

Fun facts

Gray and red morphs can occur in the same brood.
Often overlooked because of camouflage.
Excellent neighbor for natural rodent and insect control.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

← All species · https://birds-rjdb.pages.dev/species/eastern-screech-owl