- Megascops clarkii
Otus clarkii
Identification
26cm
- Reddish-brown back
- Light gingery middle and lower chest and stomach with buffy white patchy spots
- Dark markings on upper chest and throat
- Cinnamon face, slightly darker facial rim, throat and head
- Large head
- Small ear tufts
- Yellow iris
- Grey bill
Distribution
Montane forests of Costa Rica to extreme north-western Colombia
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
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.
Habitat
Humid dense mountain forests, forest edges and cloudforests from about 3,000 to 7,600 ft.
Behaviour
Nocturnal.
Diet
Included in their insectivorous diet are shrews and small rodents.
Vocalisation
Song: a deep repetitive wook wook wook.
Call: a deep whistled hu-hu, Hoo Hoo hoo.
The female's call is slightly higher pitched and she has an additional call of coo, coo-coo-coo.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Owling.com
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Bare-shanked Screech-Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bare-shanked_Screech-Owl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
