The bare-shanked screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is a large owl that feeds at night in forests and lives in a family size group, even during breeding season. The owl's range is only in Costa Rica, Panama, and far northwestern Colombia. The owl preys on large insects, shrews, and small rodents.
Region
Central America to northwestern Colombia
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests, including mature forest, mossy ridges, and forest edges. It favors dense understory and mid-elevation ravines where perches are plentiful. Frequently hunts along forest trails and roadsides that open the canopy. It may use adjacent semi-open areas at night but depends on intact forest for roosting and nesting.
Altitude Range
900–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for its largely unfeathered lower legs (“bare-shanked”), this cloud-forest screech-owl is more often heard than seen. It roosts quietly in dense vegetation by day and becomes active at dusk. Pairs may remain close with fledged young, and they nest in natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes.
Temperament
secretive and nocturnal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with silent, agile manoeuvres through understory
Social Behavior
Typically observed singly or in pairs, with family groups sometimes remaining together after fledging. Nests in tree cavities, laying eggs on the cavity floor with minimal nesting material. Strongly territorial, using vocal displays to maintain spacing from neighbors.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a quavering series of whistles that may accelerate into a trill, often delivered at dusk and before dawn. Duets between pair members are common, with soft contact notes exchanged while foraging.
Plumage
Fine mottling and barring over gray-brown to rufous morphs, with a defined facial disk and subtle vermiculation on wings and back.
Diet
Primarily takes large insects such as beetles, katydids, and moths. Also preys on small mammals including shrews and rodents, and occasionally small birds or amphibians. Hunts from low to mid-level perches with short sallies to the ground or vegetation, using keen hearing to locate prey.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, trails, and gaps where prey is easier to detect, while keeping close to dense cover. Uses perches within the understory and mid-story, and may hunt near streams where insect activity is high.
