Whiskered Screech-Owl

The Whiskered Screech-Owl is a small, compact owl closely resembling the more widespread Western Screech-Owl but restricted to mountain oak and pine-oak woodlands of the borderlands. It has short ear tufts, yellow eyes, and finely patterned gray plumage with fine vermiculations and streaking that provide excellent camouflage against bark.

The common name refers to fine, whisker-like feathers around the bill, though this feature is subtle and rarely diagnostic in the field; the species is far more reliably identified by voice.

Because it so closely resembles its more common relative in plumage, birders in its limited U.S. range rely heavily on its distinctive irregular song to confirm identification.

Key Field Marks

• Small size with short ear tufts and yellow eyes
• Gray, finely vermiculated plumage very similar to Western Screech-Owl
• Restricted largely to oak and pine-oak canyons in "sky island" mountains
• Best identified by its irregular, morse-code-like song

Similar Species

• Western Screech-Owl is nearly identical in plumage but slightly larger, occupies a broader range of habitats including lowland desert and riparian areas, and gives an accelerating "bouncing ball" song rather than the Whiskered's irregular rhythm.
• Eastern Screech-Owl does not overlap in range with the Whiskered Screech-Owl.

This species is largely restricted, within the United States, to isolated "sky island" mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, where it inhabits oak and pine-oak woodland in canyons, typically at middle elevations. Its range extends much more broadly through the highlands of Mexico and Central America.

Most populations are non-migratory residents within their oak-pine woodland habitat.

Behavior

Strictly nocturnal, the Whiskered Screech-Owl roosts by day in dense foliage or tree cavities and becomes active at dusk, calling from within the oak canopy.

Voice

The primary song is a series of short, evenly paced hoots given in an irregular, uneven rhythm, often described as sounding like Morse code, clearly different from the accelerating, bouncing-ball rhythm of the Western Screech-Owl.

Feeding

Insects and other arthropods, including moths, beetles, and centipedes, make up the bulk of the diet, supplemented occasionally by small vertebrates, captured by pouncing from a perch or gleaning from foliage and bark.

Nesting & Breeding

Whiskered Screech-Owls nest in natural cavities and old woodpecker holes in oaks and pines, typically laying 2-4 eggs, with both parents involved in raising the brood through summer.