ID Tips

Screech-Owls

What to look for to tell apart Eastern, Western, and Whiskered Screech-Owls
Contributed by Kenn Kaufman
Published: February 15, 2011
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Contributing Editor Kenn Kaufman tells what birdwatchers should look for to identify Western, Whiskered, and Eastern Screech-Owls. Vocalizations are the best way to identify the birds, Kaufman writes. Key field marks are bill color, overall size, foot size, and the pattern made by horizontal crossbars and vertical stripes on the birds' underparts. Kaufman also describes screech-owls’ odd associations with blind snakes and ants, which the birds not only tolerate but encourage in their nests.


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