White-throated Screech-Owl - BirdForum Opus

Photo by steveblain
Location: Yanacocha reserve (outside Quito), Ecuador

Megascops albogularis

Otus albogularis

Identification

26cm - dark-faced owl with relatively long tail.
Mantle and crown dark reddish brown to almost blackish depending on subspecies and geography; usually with small white and black spots but no large white spots on shoulder. Face similar in color to upperparts, with whitish eye-brow and markings below the bill but no contrasting rim. Underside gradually paler going back with basal color varying from buffy orange to whitish and vent area may be unmarked.

Distribution

Colombia and Venezuela to Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Taxonomy

Five subspecies are recognized^[1] even though other authors recognize only 4^[3]:

• M. a. obscurus

• Sierra de Perijá (Colombia/Venezuela border)

• M. a. macabrus

• Western and Central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador to northern Peru

• M. a. albogularis

• Eastern Andes of Colombia and Ecuador

• M. a. meridensis

• Andes of western Venezuela

• M. a. remotus

• Andes of eastern Peru to western Bolivia (Cochabamba)

This and almost all Screech-Owls in the Americas have previously been considered to belong in the same genus (Otus) as the European and Asian Scops-Owls, but a reassignment to Megascops have been accepted by among other authorities, the American Ornithologists' Union.

Habitat

Mainly rainforest and cloudforest; in elevations close to the timberline also in more open habitats. Does show a preference for areas with epiphytes and with bamboo clumps. 2000-3000 m asl, and less frequently about 7-800 m to either side of that range.

Behaviour

Mainly nocturnal but also sometimes noted as crepuscular.

Diet

The diet includes insects, and other arthropods, and to a lesser extent reptiles, small mammals such as bats and mice and small birds.

Breeding

Breeding poorly known, but may either happen at all times of year or vary geographically

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2) DRAFT. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
3. König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2

External Links

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