Screech owls are small, nocturnal predators found across diverse North American environments. These compact owls, typically around the size of a robin, are known for their distinctive calls, which are often a tremulous, descending wail or soft trills rather than a harsh screech. Their plumage provides excellent camouflage, allowing them to blend seamlessly with tree bark during daylight hours. This adaptability enables them to inhabit various wooded areas, from dense forests to suburban backyards.
What Screech Owls Eat
Screech owls are opportunistic hunters with a remarkably varied diet. Their food sources include a wide range of insects such as moths, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers, which can form a significant portion of their diet, especially during warmer months. They also prey on various small mammals like mice, voles, shrews, and bats.
Beyond insects and small mammals, screech owls consume small birds, amphibians like frogs and toads, and reptiles such as lizards and snakes. They also eat crayfish, earthworms, and spiders.
Are Squirrels on the Menu?
Screech owls do consume squirrels, though it is less common than their predation on other, smaller prey. Both Eastern and Western Screech-Owls are known to include squirrels in their diet, particularly smaller or younger individuals.
However, adult squirrels are often too large and active during the day, when screech owls are typically resting, to be a regular food source. While a screech owl might attempt to capture a squirrel, particularly a flying squirrel active at night, it is not a primary dietary staple. Their diet largely consists of what they can effectively subdue and carry.
How Screech Owls Hunt and Where They Live
As nocturnal hunters, screech owls are most active during the first few hours of darkness. They employ a “perch and pounce” hunting strategy, waiting silently on a low branch or other vantage point, then swooping down to capture unsuspecting prey. Their exceptional hearing, aided by asymmetrical ear openings, allows them to pinpoint prey even when it is hidden from view.
These owls inhabit a variety of environments, including deciduous and mixed woodlands, suburban areas, and parks, often near water sources. While squirrels often share these same habitats, their largely diurnal nature means they are less accessible to a nocturnal predator like the screech owl. Screech owls also hunt by catching flying insects in mid-air or foraging on the ground.