Screaming owl
| Screaming owl | ||||||||||
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Screeching Owl ( Asio clamator ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Asio clamator | ||||||||||
| ( Vieillot , 1807) |
The screeching owl ( Asio clamator ), also known as the striped eared owl , is a species from the family of real owls. It occurs in three subspecies exclusively in North, Central and South America.
Appearance
With a height of 30 to 38 centimeters, it is a medium-sized representative of its kind. Like all eared owls, it has striking feather ears . The face veil is pale brown with a dark border. The upper side of the body is ocher to reddish brown with gray vertical stripes on the forehead, the crown and the neck. The back is darkly spotted and striped. The underside of the body is pale ocher to creamy white with noticeable dark vertical stripes. The eyes are brown. The legs and toes are feathered.
Can be confused with the long-eared owl . However, this one has a brown face veil and yellow eyes. The styx owl is clearly darker and also has yellowish eyes. The great horned owl is larger and has stronger claws.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the screech owl stretches from southern Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Venezuela, the two Guayanas, eastern Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, the north of Argentina and Uruguay and the Caribbean. It is a resident bird that populates open and semi-open grasslands with a few isolated trees and bushes. It is also found in proximity to open and semi-open woodlands, marshland with shrubs, pastures and agricultural land. It even populates runways and rice fields. It is absent in dense forest and generally avoids the Amazon region with its dense forests. The altitude distribution extends from the lowlands to regions over 1,400 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The screech owl is a crepuscular and nocturnal species of owl. It transmits in bushes or in the dense foliage of trees. Sometimes she sits right on the ground. Outside of the breeding season, they can occasionally be seen in smaller groups that transmit close together. Their food spectrum consists mainly of small mammals and other small vertebrates as well as insects. Tree locusts play a special role in their diet. Due to its relatively strong claws, it can strike larger prey than the long-eared owl, which is the same size. It beats mammals up to the size of rats and birds up to the size of pigeons. Earthling pigeons , for example, are more common among their prey. It also catches bats.
Screaming owls are territorial owls. The male indicates the boundaries of his territory by letting his song be heard while waiting. During the courtship season, males and females also call alternately. Screeching owls usually nest on the ground with the nest protected by overhanging vegetation. The breeding time varies depending on the area of distribution. The clutch usually consists of three eggs. They are only incubated by the female who only leaves the nest for a very short time during the breeding season. It is supplied with food by the male. The breeding season begins with the laying of the first egg and usually lasts 33 days. The young birds can fly at 37 to 46 days. When they are around 130 to 140 days old, they are driven out of the territory by their parent birds.
supporting documents
Single receipts
- ↑ König et al., P. 482
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
Web links
- Asio clamator inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Endangered Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.