Pacific Screech Owl (Megascops cooperi)
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Pacific Screech Owl

Megascops cooperi (Ridgway, 1878)

23–26 cmLength150 gWeight

The Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Busiest months: January–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras

Pacific Screech Owl has been recorded at 53 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Refugio mixto Caño NegroCosta Rica1,753 records
  2. Ensenada Lodge [Área General]Costa Rica1,143 records
  3. Carretera hacia CofradiaNicaragua217 records
More places
  1. Cerro LodgeCosta Rica203 records
  2. Reserva Privada Concepción de MaríaNicaragua134 records
  3. PN Palo VerdeCosta Rica89 records
  4. Entrada Los Chiles (El Parque) hasta Caño NegroCosta Rica82 records
  5. Zamorano Univ. – Campus Farms and River 740-815 maslHonduras80 records
  6. Reserva Privada MontibelliNicaragua79 records
  7. Reserva Privada QuelantaroNicaragua60 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorMexico

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 Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The Pacific screech owl has sometimes been treated as a race of western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) or eastern screech owl (M. asio) but its vocalizations are distinct from theirs.

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

Questions

How big is the Pacific Screech Owl?

The Pacific Screech Owl is about 23–26 cm long and weighs around 150 g.

Where does the Pacific Screech Owl live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southern Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras.

When is the best time to see the Pacific Screech Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Pacific Screech Owl endangered?

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

What does the Pacific Screech Owl eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Pacific Screech Owl in?

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

At a glance

Length
23–26 cm
Weight
150 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
176 mm
Tail
81 mm
Bill
24 mm
Tarsus
39 mm

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

Range

Middle America: southern Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica

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 cholibaBearded Screech OwlBearded Screech OwlMegascops barbarusWestern 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
Pacific Screech Owl

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