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Western Screech Owl

Megascops kennicottii

This small owl has noticeable feather tuffs on the side of its head. Its brown/grey/white mottled feathers provide the perfect camouflage. You are not likely to spot them during the day because they sleep inside hollow trees or dense shrubs. At night, they wake to begin hunting their prey. The tell-tale “bouncing ball” hoots of a Screech-owl will alert you to their presence.

where it lives


Western Screech-Owls prefer open deciduous or mixed forests, especially near water. These owls feed only at night on a wide assortment of prey including insects, fish, birds and even earthworms! Western Screech-Owls are rare in Lillooet but have been found in the Xaxli’p Community Forest (Fountain Creek) as well as lower Cayoosh Creek and along the Fraser River to Lytton.

conservation concern


Western Screech-owls are Endangered in Canada. The Interior screech-owl is now Blue-listed in British Columbia. Scientists believe there are only about 60 territories in the Thompson-Fraser Region and about 350 pairs across the province.  Threats include urban and agricultural development and forestry practices, which create habitat loss. Barred Owls, which are expanding their range, displace Western Screech Owls.


Sources
  • B.C. Conservation Data Centre
  • Habitat Atlas for Species At Risk
  • Recovery Plan for the Western Screech-Owl
  • British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas
  • The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Fraser River Western Screech-Owl Conservation and Management Report

What you can do

If you live in suitable habitat for Screech Owls, consider constructing a nesting box for them. Learn how to build your own owl nest box here!

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