Eastern Screech Owl

Otus asio

What They Look Like

The Eastern Screech Owl is a small owl with big, bright yellow eyes.  It may be gray or reddish in color, stands nine inches tall and has small feather tufts on its head making it the smallest tufted owl in Michigan.

Where They Live

In Michigan this little owl is common in the Lower Peninsula and uncommon in the northern Upper Peninsula.  It makes its nest in tree hollows that have been made by large woodpeckers in woodlots, wooded stream boarders and even in Neighborhoods if there are enough large trees.

  

What They Eat

The Eastern Screech Owl will eat just about anything that it can tackle whether it is a mouse, small bird, or insect.  They like to hunt around lights at night because they love to eat the moths and beetles that these lights attract.

  

Things to Know

Even though they are the most abundant owl in Michigan right now their numbers are beginning to decline due to habitat change.  Older trees with nesting holes the appropriate size are being cut down so that there are fewer nesting places for them.  Habitat change has also helped their primary predator, the Great Horned Owl, so with less nesting sites and more predators things have gotten incresingly difficult for them.  A great way to help them out though is to put up nest boxes for them since they readily use them.

Why We Have Them

MUCC got its Gray Screech Owl in December of 1995.  Its left wing had been broken and now it can’t fly.  Our Red Screech Owl came to be with us in May of 2006 because it is blind in one of its eyes.