From Opus

Photo by Don Gate
Location: La Selva Biological Station (OTS), Sarapiqui de Heredia, Costa Rica

Megascops vermiculatus

Otus vermiculatus
Includes Rio Napo Screech-Owl; Roraima Screech-Owl; Choco Screech Owl

[edit] Identification

23cm

• Medium brown
• Under parts heavily streaked with fine crossbars
• Darker brown streaks on forehead
• Yellow iris
• Greenish yellow bill
• Indistinct white eyebrows

[edit] Distribution

Choco Screech Owl, M. g. centralis
Photo by COLOMBIA Birding
Canopy Tower, Panama, September 2012

Costa Rica to Colombia and Venezuela, and further down through Ecuador, Peru , and northern Bolivia

[edit] Taxonomy

This and almost all Screech Owls in the Americas have previously been considered to belong in the same genus (Otus) as the European and Asian Scops-Owls, but a reassignment to Megascops have been accepted by among other authorities, the American Ornithologists' Union.

[edit] Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies in this taxon:

• M. g. vermiculatus: Costa Rica (and western Panama?)
• M. g. centralis: Choco Screech Owl: central Panama to northern Colombia and western Ecuador
• M. g. roraimae: Roraima Screech Owl: Tepuis of south-eastern Venezuela and adjacent northern Brazil
• M. g. napensis: Rio Napo Screech-Owl (if considered a full species includes the following two subspecies): Tropical eastern Ecuador and eastern Colombia
• M. g. helleri: Tropical eastern Peru
• M. g. bolivianus: Tropical northern Bolivia (Cochabamba)

Some authors splits this taxon into four species. Especially contentious is Choco Screech Owl (Megascops centralis) Hekstra, 1982, which some considers a full species and others feel is a synonym of vermiculatus and therefore not a valid subspecies^[2].

[edit] Habitat

Lowlands and foothills to between 1200 m and 1800 m including sides of Tepuis, in humid dense forest often with many epiphytes.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes. as well as insects, most like small vertebrates too.

[edit] Breeding

They nests in tree cavity or old nest hole of other bird. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs which are laid during March and April.

[edit] References

1. Planetofbirds
2. König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2

• List of references

[edit] External Links