Bare-shanked Screech-Owl

About the Bare-shanked Screech-Owl

The bare-shanked screech owl (Megascops clarkii) 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.

The owl is 23 cm (9 in) to 25 cm (10 in) long, 173-190 mm long, and weighs 123-190 g. Its upperbody is reddish-brown and is "spotted, mottled, and vermiculated with black". Its hindneck is yellowish and the feathers on its shoulder has a white band across them, edged with black. The flight feathers have cinnamon-colored bars, while the tail has light and dark bars. Underneath the owl, it is pale brown with a tan and yellowish tint. Its upper breast is partially white, while the lower breast and stomach have either dusky reddish-brown bars or markings with black streaks. The facial disc is yellowish-brown with a dark ruff and its eyes are yellow. Its bill is either greenish-grey or bluish-grey. The owl's thighs are mostly yellow. Its lower leg is bare as well as its yellowish-pink toes that have dark claws. Chicks are whitish... Wikipedia →