Eastern Screech Owl
(Megascops asio)
The Eastern Screech Owl ranges widely across the eastern United States and lives throughout New Jersey (occurring in all 21 counties). It can be recognized at night by its distinctive trills (which are NOT screams). When seen it can be identified by its small size (10 inches tall - 25 cm), “ear” tufts (the only small owl in New Jersey with “ear” tufts), yellow eyes and bill, and strongly streaked breast. As is typically the case with owls, females are larger than males. The species has two color phases - gray and reddish (rufous). [This condition is called dichromatism.] Whatever color a Screech Owl is born with is the one retained throughout their life. The color phase has nothing to do with the owl’s age, sex or the time of the year. The color is due to the genetic makeup of the birds.
Eastern Screech Owls are NON MIGRANTS. They remain all year in New Jersey. So where do they live? They prefer wooded habitat, especially where the forest is open and where they can find cavities in trees. Forests are becoming more and more fragmented. However, Eastern Screech Owls have been able to nest in small pockets of woodland, including trees in suburban woodlots, as well as parks and orchards.
The Eastern Screech Owl is a very opportunistic nocturnal feeder and captures a variety of prey - both vertebrate and invertebrate. [In fact, they rival the Great Horned Owl in terms of diversity of prey selection. Obviously, they can’t capture the large size animals that Great Horned Owls are capable of seizing.] However, the types of prey attacked will vary at different times of the year and with prey availability. Here are some examples:
Eastern Screech Owls are NON MIGRANTS. They remain all year in New Jersey. So where do they live? They prefer wooded habitat, especially where the forest is open and where they can find cavities in trees. Forests are becoming more and more fragmented. However, Eastern Screech Owls have been able to nest in small pockets of woodland, including trees in suburban woodlots, as well as parks and orchards.
The Eastern Screech Owl is a very opportunistic nocturnal feeder and captures a variety of prey - both vertebrate and invertebrate. [In fact, they rival the Great Horned Owl in terms of diversity of prey selection. Obviously, they can’t capture the large size animals that Great Horned Owls are capable of seizing.] However, the types of prey attacked will vary at different times of the year and with prey availability. Here are some examples:
Screech Owls develop pair bonds that last for life. In the early spring, the female Screech Owl lays her three - four eggs in the cavity of a tree. Many such cavities are created by woodpeckers. No nest material is used. She incubates the eggs for about a month while the male provides her with food. Juveniles are fed inside the nest cavity for about a month and then cared for by both parents for an additional two month period.
A fascinating behavior of the Screech Owl is that in areas where the blind snake (Leptotyphlops) occurs, Screech Owls capture the snakes and either feed them to their young or place them alive inside their nest. The snakes eat fly and ant larvae and pupae, thereby enhancing the nest’s hygiene. One researcher found that when blind snakes were inside the nest, young screech owls grew faster. However, these snakes do not occur in New Jersey.
Screech Owls have a variety of enemies such as other owls (Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Snowy Owls), mink, weasels, raccoons, skunks, crows and jays. Even so, vehicular hits remain a major mortality factor.
A fascinating behavior of the Screech Owl is that in areas where the blind snake (Leptotyphlops) occurs, Screech Owls capture the snakes and either feed them to their young or place them alive inside their nest. The snakes eat fly and ant larvae and pupae, thereby enhancing the nest’s hygiene. One researcher found that when blind snakes were inside the nest, young screech owls grew faster. However, these snakes do not occur in New Jersey.
Screech Owls have a variety of enemies such as other owls (Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Snowy Owls), mink, weasels, raccoons, skunks, crows and jays. Even so, vehicular hits remain a major mortality factor.
Status
Screech Owls are not threatened or endangered in New Jersey.
They are abundantly distributed throughout the state.
References:
Gehlbach, Frederick R. 1995. Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca:Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online:
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/165
Johnsgard, P. A. 2002. North American Owls: biology and natural history. 2nd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C.
Walsh, J., V. Elia, R. Kane and T. Halliwell. 1999. Birds of New Jersey. New Jersey Audubon Society. Bernardsville, NJ.
Prefers to live inside forests
but has adapted to human development
Suburban
Woodlots
Open Forests
Screech Owls are not a dense (old growth) forest species but prefer to inhabit forest where trees are scattered so that sunlight penetrates to the forest floor and promotes the growth of ground vegetation. They also inhabit suburban woodlots, parks and orchards where trees contain cavities for roosting and nesting.
Both color morphs occur in New Jersey. The species is a common year round resident in New Jersey.
Two Screech Owl owlets.
Habitat Preference Summary
Credits: Screech Owls (John Pitcher) / Screech Owl in Nest Hole (Adam Jones) / Screech Owl Owlets (Steve Byland|Dreamstime) / Habitat (Dorling Kindersley) / Screech Owl Illustrations (Allan Brooks)
A gray phase Screech Owl sitting at the entrance of a nest cavity. Note the camouflage coloration.