Vermiculated screech owl
Vermiculated screech owl | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Strigiformes |
Family: | Strigidae |
Genus: | Megascops |
Species: | M. vermiculatus
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Binomial name | |
Megascops vermiculatus (Ridgway, 1887)
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Synonyms | |
Megascops guatemalae vermiculatus |
The vermiculated screech owl (Megascops vermiculatus), is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.[3]
Taxonomy and systematics
The taxonomy of the vermiculated screech owl is somewhat unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes it as a distinct monotypic species. However, the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS/NACC)) and the Clements taxonomy treat it as a subspecies of the Middle American screech owl (M. guatemalae). What is now the foothill screech owl (M. roraimae) was once considered a subspecies of the vermiculated screech owl. [3][4][5]
Description
The vermiculated screech owl is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 91 to 128 g (3.2 to 4.5 oz). It is dimorphic, with one morph brown and the other overall rufous. Unlike most other owls of the same genus, it has feathered feet. The brown morph has a light brown facial disc with a thin dark border, indistinct pale brows over yellow eyes, and short dark "ear" tufts. Its crown and upperparts range from grayish brown to buffy brown with fine uniform vermiculations. The underparts are whitish with dense fine brown and black vermiculation. The beak is gray-green. The rufous morph is bright rufous on its head and upperparts.[6]
Distribution and habitat
The vermiculated screech-owl is found from far southern Nicaragua through the Caribbean side of Costa Rica into western Panama. It inhabits humid forest from sea level to about 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[6]
Behavior
Feeding
Almost nothing is known about the vermiculated screech owl's hunting practices or diet. It is presumed to mostly eat large insects but also small vertebrates.[6]
Breeding
The vermiculated screech owl's breeding phenology is also very poorly known. It nests in a natural tree cavity or abandoned woodpecker hole, apparently in March. The clutch size is thought to be three.[6]
Vocalization
The vermiculated screech owl's primary song is a "very fast, long, toad-like trill". Its probable secondary song is "a very brief descending purr".[6]
Status
The IUCN has assessed the vermiculated screech owl as being of Least Concern.[1] However, because it needs unbroken forest, "[f]orest destruction a threat, at least in long term."[6]
References
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Vermiculated Screech-owl Megascops vermiculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 15, 2019
- ^ a b c d e f Holt, D. W., R. Berkley, C. Deppe, P. L. Enríquez, J. L. Petersen, J. L. Rangel Salazar, K. P. Segars, K. L. Wood, G. M. Kirwan, and J. S. Marks (2020). Middle American Screech-Owl (Megascops guatemalae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.vesowl.01 retrieved August 5, 2021
Further reading
- König, C., F. Weick & J.H. Becking (2008) Owls of the World. Christopher Helm, London, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2Error: "Q475182" is not a valid Wikidata entity ID.
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- Megascops
- Birds of Costa Rica
- Birds of Panama
- Birds of Nicaragua
- Birds described in 1887
- Taxa named by Robert Ridgway