eastern screech owls
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lucy |
RICKY |
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FRED |
ETHEL |
SPICE |
DILBERT |
GOLIATH |
WICKET |
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RUMPLES |
SAMSONYou may have seen Samson on one of his many 'bad hair days' in the past. This |
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Scientific Name: Megascops asio
Screech owls are found all throughout North America. As you may have guessed, the eastern screech owls occupy the eastern half of the continent, while their slightly larger cousins, the western screech owl lives in the western half of the continent. Here in Pinellas County, we have one of the largest screech owl populations. Why? ...because we have an abundance of their favorite prey item: cockroaches/palmetto bugs. These birds are usually an instant fan favorite for that reason alone. Their size and good looks also factor in with the whole popularity thing, too, we're sure.
Despite the name, the sounds they make are not really of a screeching nature. They have a soft trilling call, which you may sometimes hear echoing through our nature center. They also make a whinnying noise, reminiscent of a horse's whinny.
Owls have been said to not be great at constructing their own nests, so they will seek out nesting boxes or cavities in trees.
From time to time, we do have nesting boxes available at the Nature Center, but if you are looking for a project, check out Audubon's site of how to do it yourself and how/where to place it. They typically nest early in the year and the fledgling owls leave the nest shortly after spring ends.
In the wild, screech owls can live up to 14 years. In human care, most likely longer than 14 years.
Screech owls are found all throughout North America. As you may have guessed, the eastern screech owls occupy the eastern half of the continent, while their slightly larger cousins, the western screech owl lives in the western half of the continent. Here in Pinellas County, we have one of the largest screech owl populations. Why? ...because we have an abundance of their favorite prey item: cockroaches/palmetto bugs. These birds are usually an instant fan favorite for that reason alone. Their size and good looks also factor in with the whole popularity thing, too, we're sure.
Despite the name, the sounds they make are not really of a screeching nature. They have a soft trilling call, which you may sometimes hear echoing through our nature center. They also make a whinnying noise, reminiscent of a horse's whinny.
Owls have been said to not be great at constructing their own nests, so they will seek out nesting boxes or cavities in trees.
From time to time, we do have nesting boxes available at the Nature Center, but if you are looking for a project, check out Audubon's site of how to do it yourself and how/where to place it. They typically nest early in the year and the fledgling owls leave the nest shortly after spring ends.
In the wild, screech owls can live up to 14 years. In human care, most likely longer than 14 years.