Eastern Screech Owl - a photo on Flickriver

            The eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) or eastern screech-owl, is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.

Description

Adults range from 16 to 25 cm (61⁄2 to 10 in) in length and weigh 121–244 g (41⁄4–85⁄8 oz). Among the differently sized races, length can average from 19.5 to 23.8 cm (711⁄16 to 93⁄8 in). The wingspan can range from 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in). In Ohio, male owls average 166 g (57⁄8 oz) and females 194 g (67⁄8 oz) while in central Texas, they average 157 g (51⁄2 oz) and 185 g (61⁄2 oz), respectively. They have either rusty or dark gray intricately patterned plumage with streaking on the underparts. Midsized by screech-owl standards, these birds are stocky, short-tailed (tail averages from 6.6 to 8.6 cm (25⁄8 to 33⁄8 in) in length) and broad-winged (wing chord averages from 14.5 to 17 cm (53⁄4 to 63⁄4 in) in length) as is typical of the genus. They have a large, round head with prominent ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a yellowish beak, which measures on average 1.45 cm (9⁄16 in) in length. The feet are relatively large and powerful compared to more southern screech owls and are typically feathered down to the toes, although the southernmost populations only have remnant bristles rather than full feathering on the legs and feet. The eastern screech owl (and its western counterpart) are actually some of the heaviest screech owls, the largest tropical screech owls do not exceed them in average or maximal weight, but (due to the eastern screech owls' relatively short tails) they are surpassed in length by Balsas (M. seductus), long-tufted (M. sanctaecatarinae), white-throated (M. albogularis), and rufescent owls (M. seductus), in roughly increasing order.

Eastern Screech Owl (gray morph) in Canada
Two color variations are referred to as "red or rufous morphs" and "gray morphs" by bird watchers and ornithologists. Rusty birds are more common in the southern parts of the range; pairings of the two color variants do occur. While the gray morph provides remarkably effective camouflage amongst the bark of hardwood trees, red morphs may find security in certain pine trees and the colorful leaves of changing deciduous trees. The highest percentage of red morphs is known from Tennessee (79% of population) and Illinois (78% of population). A rarer "brown morph" is known, recorded exclusively in the south (i.e. Florida), which may be the occasional product of hybridation between the morphs. In Florida, brown morphs are typically reported in the more humid portions of the state, whereas they appear to be generally absent in the northern and northwestern parts of the state. A paler gray variation (sometimes bordering on a washed-out, whitish look) also exists in western Canada and the north-central United States.

Taken on: May 20, 2021

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Camera: Canon EOS RP, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, 700mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS RP
Lens:	EF500mm f/4.5L USM +1.4x
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	700mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
Color Space:	Adobe RGB
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