Meet Our Bird of the Month, the Eastern Screech-Owl!

The Eastern Screech-Owl is the most common owl in the Rio Grande Valley. Nocturnal predators with chilling calls, owls often get a bad rap in lore and legend. But despite being a common Halloween motif, these birds aren't so spooky. In fact, they're amazing!

If you think Halloween is a "hoot," see our Events page for details on the Oct. 11th local "Boo-tanical Fall Festival & Plant Sale" and more!

 

Fun Facts

• Eastern Screech-Owls are named for their piercing "screech" calls.

• They range from Canada all the way down into Mexico, in both rural and urban areas.

• These owls can be rufous (reddish-brown) further north in Texas or further south in Mexico. But here in the Valley, we get only the gray “McCall’s” variety. As this variety also lack the "whinny" call heard in other populations, it may eventually come to be considered a different species.

• They're pint-sized—slightly taller than a starling—and as is typical with owls, the females are larger.

• Their fine streaks, bars, and spots act as camo that makes them very hard to spot against tree bark. But a commotion among other birds can alert you to the presence of a nearby owl (or other raptor). Check out this video to see these masters of disguise.

• They nest in tree cavities or man-made nest boxes, and usually mate for life.

• They help keep our rodent and reptile populations in check and also eat insects, like cicadas and grasshoppers. Sadly, they do also eat songbirds if they can catch them.

• They may cache (hide) food for later.

• Owls can't actually turn their heads 360°. It just looks that way because we can't see their necks. Check out this cool video for more info.

Learn more on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site.

 

Support Tips

Owls don't come to feeders, but you can help support these birds by putting up a nest box.

• If you're handy, there are free online plans, such as the Audubon Society's Screech Owl box plan.

• Not such a DIY-er? No worries! Pick up one of our WBU houses for Eastern Screech-Owls. 

 

Visit our webshop to explore our selection of highly nutritious bird foods, quality, durable bird feeders, and more!