Eastern screech-owl

Eastern screech-owls are mostly gray, reddish-brown or brown with yellow eyes. They are short, stocky and have large heads with almost no neck. Their wings are rounded with a short, square tail. 

Eastern screech-owls are 6.3 to 9.8 inches long with wingspans of about 18.9 to 24 inches. They are about 6 inches tall and weigh about 130-220 grams (about 4.6-7.8 ounces).

The eastern screech-owl is found in North America. It lives east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, with small populations in eastern Canada and Mexico.

Eastern screech-owls can be found in wooded areas that are near water, including neighborhoods and parks. They can also be found in trees around orchards, marshes, meadows and fields. They tend to avoid dense forests with thick patches of trees, where larger owls often live.

These owls live for about 8-10 years.

Eastern screech-owls communicate through vocalizations. They have a whinny-like and low-pitched sound. They may sing during the breeding season or make alarm calls if threatened. Both males and females vocalize, but males tend to be noisier.

Eastern screech-owls are carnivores. They eat mammals, birds, earthworms, insects, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs and lizards. They fly down from trees to capture prey but rarely hover when hunting. They also help control small mammal populations — they can easily eat more than 1,000 mice in one year!

At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, eastern screech-owls eat frozen-thawed mice. They don’t receive live prey.

Eastern screech-owls are nocturnal — they are highly active at night (and more often heard than seen).

Eastern screech-owls are mostly solitary. They are only in pairs during the breeding season. These owls do not migrate. They stay within their home range throughout the winter, leaving only during severe weather in search of food. Eastern screech-owls’ unique feather patterns help camouflage them in the tree bark. When threatened, they will stretch their body and tighten their feathers to look like a branch.

To attract a mate, a male will call to a female while swiveling his head and body. He may also wink his eyes slowly. If he’s successful, the birds will touch bills and clean each other's feathers. Eastern screech-owls mate for life and often reuse the same nest sites year after year.

They nest in natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes. They will also use nest boxes or nest behind loose boards on abandoned buildings or barns. Females lay three to four eggs. Males help during nesting by bringing food to the female while she cares for the eggs and young.

The Zoo's two Eastern screech owls are named Teton, a female, and Canyon, a male. They were both hatched at the Illinois Raptor Center on May 3, 2022, and hand-raised to become education ambassadors for their species. Teton and Canyon spend most of their time sleeping during the day and are more active at night. Some of their favorite enrichment items are ropes and hol-ee roller toys. They love to carry them in their mouths and fly throughout their exhibit. 

Who’s who?

Eastern screech owls’ coloring can vary between red, gray and brown, depending on the individual. Teton, our female, is a gray morph and is slightly larger in size. Canyon, our male, is a red morph and smaller than Teton. 

How loud is their screech?

Despite their name, Eastern Screech owls do not communicate loudly to one another. In fact, they do not truly screech. Their calls are an even-pitched trill, often called a tremolo. You will most likely hear Teton and Canyon make this type of noise through breeding season. Other social calls include a descending whinny to defend their territory as well as squeals and beak snapping.