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That Nest in Birdhouses70birds
That Nest in BirdhousesEastern Screech Owl
Otus asio
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species: asio
La. strix owl
La. strigis owl
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. otis buzzard with long ear feathers
La. asio horned owl
La. axio horned owl
A small owl, eight to ten inches long with a wingspan of almost two feet.
Predominantly rusty red with light and dark brown or black streaks, or gray with black steaks and a fine yellowish tint and variations in between.
White undersides with crossed black streaks. Conspicuous ear tufts and black circles around yellow eyes.
The differences between the two birds in the above painting by R. Bruce Horsfall are not meant to illustrate differences between western and eastern screech owl species. Rather they illustrate the red and grey “phases”, which appear within both western and eastern species.
Eastern Screech Owls Inhabit forests, groves, swamps, orchards, parks, small towns, and suburbs in eastern North America, from southern Canada to Mexico and from the Great Plains to the East Coast.
Many neighbors are unaware of the screech owl’s presence until the bird swoops like a shadow in the darkness toward an intruder, hooting and snapping its bill as it pulls up in the last second, scaring the daylights out of their new friend.
Hoots and Shivering Cries of the Screech Owl
Since ancient times the screech owl and those who encounter it have been regarded as unlucky, a superstition perpetuated in particular by the screech owl’s proximity to people, its nocturnal nature and its eerie shivering, descending wail.
Nocturnal hunters, screech owls stealthily prey on unsuspecting mice, insects, frogs, snakes, lizards, crayfish and fish.
An owl’s fluffy feather edges reduce the noise of flight.
They usually keep out of site during the day, but if they venture out, they stir up a commotion among song birds.
In the past, they have been kept as pets, although now that is highly illegal. Left to its choice the screech owl is a good neighbor controlling the local mice population.
Screech owls build scanty nests of sticks, feathers and chips in natural or abandoned tree cavities, on rocky ledges, in farm sheds from waist level up to twenty five feet high.
They sometimes nest in birdhouses of the right dimensions mounted in the right places.
Females lay white eggs the individual numbers varying widely. Eggs hatch after about four weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another month.
The Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box (same as for Western Screech Owl, Kestrel and Barrow’s Goldeneye) has an 8″ by 8″ floor, 15″ inside floor to ceiling, 3″ diameter entrance hole located 12″ above the floor and ventilation openings in the floor and under the ceiling.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce wood splitting. Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Mount out of reach (10 feet or higher) near woodland edges or clearings, small tree stands or under the eave of a farm out building within moderate distance of wetlands. Face south so they can sun themselves through the hole in winter.
Woodpeckers, other owls and squirrels may use this box.
Eastern Sreech Owl
Otus asio
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species: asio
La. strix owl
La. strigis owl
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. otis buzzard with long ear feathers
La. asio horned owl
La. axio horned owl
A small owl, eight to ten inches long with a wingspan of almost two feet.
Predominantly rusty red with light and dark brown or black streaks, or gray with black steaks and a fine yellowish tint and variations in between. White undersides with crossed black streaks. Conspicuous ear tufts and black circles around yellow eyes.
The differences between the two birds in the above painting by R. Bruce Horsfall are not meant to illustrate differences between western and eastern screech owl species. Rather they illustrate the red and grey “phases”, which appear within both western and eastern species.
Eastern Screech Owls Inhabit forests, groves, swamps, orchards, parks, small towns, and suburbs in eastern North America, from southern Canada to Mexico and from the Great Plains to the East Coast.
Many neighbors are unaware of the screech owl’s presence until the bird swoops like a shadow in the darkness toward an intruder, hooting and snapping its bill as it pulls up in the last second, scaring the daylights out of their new friend.
Hoots and Shivering Cries of the Screech Owl
Since ancient times the screech owl and those who encounter it have been regarded as unlucky, a superstition perpetuated in particular by the screech owl’s proximity to people, its nocturnal nature and its eerie shivering, descending wail.
Nocturnal hunters, screech owls stealthily prey on unsuspecting mice, insects, frogs, snakes, lizards, crayfish and fish. An owl’s fluffy feather edges reduce the noise of flight.
They usually keep out of site during the day, but if they venture out, they stir up a commotion among song birds.
In the past, they have been kept as pets, although now that is highly illegal. Left to its choice the screech owl is a good neighbor controlling the local mice population.
Screech owls build scanty nests of sticks, feathers and chips in natural or abandoned tree cavities, on rocky ledges, in farm sheds from waist level up to twenty five feet high.
They sometimes nest in birdhouses of the right dimensions in the right places.
Females lay white eggs the individual numbers varying widely. Eggs hatch after about four weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another month.
The Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box (same as for Western Screech Owl, Kestrel and Barrow’s Goldeneye) has an 8″ by 8″ floor, 15″ inside floor to ceiling, 3″ diameter entrance hole located 12″ above the floor and ventilation openings in the floor and under the ceiling.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce wood splitting.
Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Mount out of reach (10 feet or higher) near woodland edges or clearings, small tree stands or under the eave of a farm out building within moderate distance of wetlands.
Face south so they can sun themselves through the hole in winter.
Woodpeckers, other owls and squirrels may use this box.
Eastern Screech Owl
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Otus asio
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Otus
Species: asio
La. strix owl
La. strigis owl
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. otis buzzard with long ear feathers
La. asio horned owl
La. axio horned owl
A small owl, eight to ten inches long with a wingspan of almost two feet.
Predominantly rusty red with light and dark brown or black streaks, or gray with black steaks and a fine yellowish tint and variations in between.
White undersides with crossed black streaks. Conspicuous ear tufts and black circles around yellow eyes.
The differences between the two birds in the above painting by R. Bruce Horsfall are not meant to illustrate differences between western and eastern screech owl species. Rather they illustrate the red and grey “phases”, which appear within both western and eastern species.
Eastern Screech Owls Inhabit forests, groves, swamps, orchards, parks, small towns, and suburbs in eastern North America, from southern Canada to Mexico and from the Great Plains to the East Coast.
Many neighbors are unaware of the screech owl’s presence until the bird swoops like a shadow in the darkness toward an intruder, hooting and snapping its bill as it pulls up in the last second, scaring the daylights out of their new friend.
Hoots and Shivering Cries of the Screech Owl
Since ancient times the screech owl and those who encounter it have been regarded as unlucky, a superstition perpetuated in particular by the screech owl’s proximity to people, its nocturnal nature and its eerie shivering, descending wail.
Nocturnal hunters, screech owls stealthily prey on unsuspecting mice, insects, frogs, snakes, lizards, crayfish and fish.
An owl’s fluffy feather edges reduce the noise of flight.
They usually keep out of site during the day, but if they venture out, they stir up a commotion among song birds.
In the past, they have been kept as pets, although now that is highly illegal. Left to its choice the screech owl is a good neighbor controlling the local mice population.
Screech owls build scanty nests of sticks, feathers and chips in natural or abandoned tree cavities, on rocky ledges, in farm sheds from waist level up to twenty five feet high.
They sometimes nest in birdhouses of the right dimensions mounted in the right places.
Females lay white eggs the individual numbers varying widely. Eggs hatch after about four weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another month.
Screech Owl Birdhouse
The Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box (same as for Western Screech Owl, Kestrel and Barrow’s Goldeneye) has an 8″ by 8″ floor, 15″ inside floor to ceiling, 3″ diameter entrance hole located 12″ above the floor and ventilation openings in the floor and under the ceiling.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce wood splitting.
Screech Owl Birdhouse Plans
Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Mount out of reach (10 feet or higher) near woodland edges or clearings, small tree stands or under the eave of a farm out building within moderate distance of wetlands. Face south so they can sun themselves through the hole in winter.
Woodpeckers, other owls and squirrels may use this box.
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