The foothill screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Northern Andes and Guiana Shield
Typical Environment
Occurs in the foothill belt and adjacent lowlands from the eastern slopes of the Andes into the northern Amazonian and Guianan regions. It favors humid evergreen forest, tall secondary woodland, and forest edges near streams. It may also use gallery forest and forest–savanna ecotones locally. By day it roosts in dense vegetation or in cavities; by night it forages from low to mid-story perches along quiet forest trails and clearings.
Altitude Range
200–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The foothill screech owl is a small, ear-tufted owl of humid foothill forests in northern South America. It is nocturnal and often detected by its repetitive trills and soft hoots rather than by sight. Like many screech-owls, it relies on camouflage, roosting by day against tree trunks where its mottled plumage blends in.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick, silent dashes between perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in mated pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests in natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes, with both parents attending the young. Pairs often duet at dusk and before dawn to maintain territories.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of soft, evenly spaced hoots or trills, often accelerating slightly toward the end. Calls carry well on still nights and are repeated at regular intervals from a concealed perch.
Plumage
Finely mottled and barred brown to gray-brown with dense vermiculation; facial disk well-defined with subtle pale border; prominent but small ear tufts.
Diet
Primarily feeds on large insects such as beetles, moths, and orthopterans taken by perch-and-pounce hunting. Will also seize spiders and other arthropods from foliage. Occasionally takes small vertebrates like frogs, lizards, or small rodents when available.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along forest edges, trails, and light gaps where prey is easier to detect. Frequently forages from low to mid-story perches, making short sallies to capture prey on the wing or from foliage.
