Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn is a female Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii,
formerly Otus kennicottii). She was brought to the WSU Veterinary Teaching
Hospital in June of 2004. She suffered severe head trauma, probably caused
by colliding with a car. Both of her eyes were injured during the accident
and she cannot see well enough to ever hunt efficiently on her own. She
also received a left humeral fracture. As a result she will spend the rest
of her life in captivity.
Western Screech Owls tend to live in riparian and urban areas. They like
mixed coniferous and deciduous forests where they can stay hidden easier with
their grey and brown feathering. They also have small ear tufts which they
hold up when they are interested in something. These ear tufts look like
horns or actual ears but are only feathers that stand up on the top of their
heads.
Western Screech Owls are related to Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio)
but the bills of the Eastern Screech Owls are paler, while the Western Screech
Owls have bills that are grey to black. There is also the Whiskered Screech Owl
(Megascops trichopsis) which is found in southern Arizona on into
Mexico and is a bit smaller with orange eyes (instead of yellow) and heavier
barring on their belly. A common misconception about Screech Owls is that
they screech. This is not actually the case. Instead, they will make
a trilling “hoo-hoo-hoo†or a soft “cr-r-oo-oo-ooo…â€
Western Screech Owls are strictly nocturnal and hunt only at night. Their
prey of choice is small rodents but they are opportunistic and will also eat
frogs, small fish, insects, bats, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
