Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Bearded Screech Owl

Megascops barbarus (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)

16–20 cmLength69 gWeight

The bearded screech owl or Santa Barbara screech owl (Megascops barbarus) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Striginae.

Most records: Guatemala

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Bearded Screech Owl has been recorded at 1 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Finca Rubel ChaimGuatemala4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Guatemala

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The bearded screech owl or Santa Barbara screech owl (Megascops barbarus) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Striginae. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Bearded Screech Owl?

The Bearded Screech Owl is about 16–20 cm long and weighs around 69 g.

Where does the Bearded Screech Owl live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. It is most often recorded in Guatemala.

Is the Bearded Screech Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Bearded Screech Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Bearded Screech Owl eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Bearded Screech Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Length
16–20 cm
Weight
69 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
136 mm
Tail
66 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
26 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: southern Mexico and northern Guatemala

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Megascops

Other birds in the genus Megascops

Whiskered Screech OwlWhiskered Screech OwlMegascops trichopsisBare-shanked Screech OwlBare-shanked Screech OwlMegascops clarkiiWhite-throated Screech OwlWhite-throated Screech OwlMegascops albogularisTropical Screech OwlTropical Screech OwlMegascops cholibaPacific Screech OwlPacific Screech OwlMegascops cooperiWestern Screech OwlWestern Screech OwlMegascops kennicottiiEastern Screech OwlEastern Screech OwlMegascops asioBalsas Screech OwlBalsas Screech OwlMegascops seductusMiddle American Screech OwlMiddle American Screech OwlMegascops guatemalaeKoepcke's Screech OwlKoepcke's Screech OwlMegascops koepckeaeRufescent Screech OwlRufescent Screech OwlMegascops ingensCinnamon Screech OwlCinnamon Screech OwlMegascops petersoni
Bearded Screech Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by David Alfonso Bejarano Bonilla. ↗

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