“There’s something large in the birdbath,” announced my husband as he peered out the dining room window late one recent afternoon. Looking through a kitchen window, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a stocky, furry creature with no neck, but could only recognize that it was definitely not a hawk. “It’s an owl!” Rick shouted, already on his way to the basement where we keep the camera. By that time I’d grabbed my binoculars, conveniently hung by the window for these moments, and focused on a bright-eyed Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii), likely a juvenile (judging by the fluffy/messy feathers the color of tree trunks). We’d heard these owls, on and off, in past years — especially on warm evenings — but had never seen one. And that’s the way they wanted it.

Western Screech-Owls hunt at dusk, night, and dawn, and are much more often heard than seen. Their high pitched hoots — that accelerate with the rhythm of a bouncing ping pong ball — fill the night air like nothing else. (Contrary to their common name, they don’t “screech” but may “bark” when frightened.) Prior to the loss of an enormous American elm tree in front of our house, their voices sometimes drifted through the bedroom window on summer nights. Last night we heard one again, albeit a little more distantly. Perhaps it was this little owl.

Diverse habitats
Found throughout most of western North America from southeastern Alaska and western Canada southward to western Texas, Mexico and part of Central America, their habitat is varied and includes coastal forests, riparian areas, scrublands and deserts. In the Pacific Northwest they can be found in wooded and forested habitat under 6,000 feet — especially with deciduous trees — but may also be found in parks, suburbs, and other residential areas. They weigh 5 to 9 ounces and grow to 7 to 10 inches in length, with a 20 to 22-inch wingspan. Color morphs include the gray Pacific, brown Pacific and Mojave. In general, they are grayish or brownish with heavily streaked feathers. With large yellow eyes, pointy little ear tufts, a yellow bill and a round body and head, they are — in my opinion — adorable.

Food, nests and babies
Their days are spent either in a roosting cavity or perched at its entrance, camouflaged, no doubt planning nighttime hunting adventures which involve locating prey by sight as well as sound. Their generalist diet varies with the habitat; they eat mostly small mammals such as mice, rats, and bats, and large night-flying insects as well as spiders, but may also take some small reptiles, birds, fish, mollusks, and amphibians. I read somewhere that they occasionally take prey bigger than their own bodies!

Like other secondary-cavity nesting birds, Western Screech-Owls roost and nest in natural cavities, such as those excavated by woodpeckers or those formed by branch breakage; in some regions they may nest in cliffs or cactus. They also might use nest boxes if properly placed and dimensions are adequate, but Eastern Screech-Owls are reportedly more likely to use them than Western. During courtship, a pair will often sing duets and the male presents food to the female. Being “socially monogamous,” the pairs raise their young together. Observational studies reveal that pairs show affection, often perching closely and preening one another. The male locates a usable cavity and presents it to the female, sometimes with a tasty morsel in his beak. Throughout the breeding season, the male will roost near the nest cavity; when not roosting, his job is to supply all the food for the female while she incubates the eggs (for around 26 days) and cares for the young. Both the female and the male take turns guarding the entrance of the cavity from predators. After the young have most of their feathers, the female helps with hunting. When the nestlings no longer need her constant attention, she will roost nearby, often touching the male. After the month-old young leave the nest, they continue to be cared for by their parents for another five to six weeks.

Conservation
Although Western Screech-Owl population trends are difficult to study because of their nocturnal habits, populations reportedly have declined slightly between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 180,000 and rates them 13 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, a relatively low conservation concern. However, the Pacific Northwest population of Western Screech-Owls are highly vulnerable to development (especially in riparian areas), forest clearcutting and other logging, noise pollution while nesting, rodenticides, and vehicular and power line collisions. Their requirement for snags (standing dead trees) for nest sites have also had a negative impact on their numbers. And according to Audubon, climate vulnerability in the Northwest is fairly high (especially in the Puget Lowlands and Willamette Valley) due to “wildfires that incinerate habitat” and “spring heat waves that endanger young birds in the nest.” The Nature Conservancy of Canada states that Western Screech-Owls “are assessed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada,” with their small populations threatened by the loss of mature trees that provide cavities for nesting. Although these owls can adapt to degraded habitat and human presence to some extent, maintaining strong populations will require vigorous protection of open forested areas near water in both rural and residential areas.

I wrote about Western Screech-Owls in my book many years ago: “A mated pair of Western screech-owls once graced my neighborhood, but they left forever when a mature tree they used was drastically hacked back during breeding season, a time when birds are intensely sensitive to disruption. I still think of them and how they softly called to each other in the impending dusk, and wonder if they were able to find a more peaceful place to nest. Their eviction symbolizes what can happen when human ignorance and thoughtlessness intervene. Indeed, recognizing that every front, back and side yard—even those within urban areas—is a part of an intricate ecosystem … is the first step toward encouraging rich, natural diversity.” Let’s hope this little owl has a long, rich life.

© 2024 Eileen M. Stark