The West Peruvian screech owl or Peruvian screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
Region
Tumbesian region
Typical Environment
Occurs in the arid and semi-arid lowlands and foothills of western Peru and southwestern Ecuador, especially in deciduous and thorny scrub woodlands. It frequents Prosopis (algarrobo) groves, cactus scrub, and dry riverine corridors with scattered trees. The species also uses edges of farmland and towns where cavity-bearing trees remain. By day it roosts close to trunks or within cavities, relying on cryptic plumage for concealment.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The West Peruvian screech owl is a small, ear-tufted owl of the Tumbesian dry forests of western Peru and southwestern Ecuador. It typically roosts in tree cavities or dense foliage by day and becomes active at dusk. Its call is a soft, bouncing series of trills and hoots, and pairs often duet. It tolerates semi-urban edges and agricultural mosaics where remnant trees persist.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick, low dashes between perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, becoming most vocal at dusk and early night. Pairs are presumed monogamous and nest in natural cavities or old woodpecker holes. The male often provisions the incubating female and later the chicks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, bouncing series of hoots and trills, often accelerating and slightly descending. Pairs may duet antiphonally, with one bird giving a trill and the other responding. Calls are most frequent at dusk and on moonlit nights.
Plumage
Compact screech-owl with prominent ear tufts and finely streaked and mottled plumage; typically grayish or brown with darker vermiculations and pale speckling. Underparts are buffy with dark streaks; scapulars show small pale spots. Facial disk is pale with a dark rim and a faint pale eyebrow.
Diet
Feeds mainly on large arthropods such as moths, beetles, and katydids, taken from the ground, foliage, or in short sallies. It also opportunistically captures small vertebrates, including lizards, small rodents, and small birds. Hunting is typically from a low perch with short pounces or gleaning.
Preferred Environment
Forages along edges of dry forest, thorn scrub, and riparian groves with scattered trees. It may also hunt around rural lights that attract insects and along hedgerows or field margins.
