Eastern Screech Owl | 1 Awesome Animal Disguise

The Eastern Screech Owl is a robin-sized stocky nightbird with a large head, short ear tufts, light-colored beak, and yellow eyes. The Lord God Almighty in His infinite wisdom created numerous animals on this Earth, including birds, with unique skill sets and intelligence.

Some cultures consider owls as symbols of bad luck; however, the Creator has made every creature with a specific purpose so that they bring balance to nature.

Know More About the Eastern Screech Owl

The Eastern Screech Owl is one such bird of prey that has masterful camouflage abilities. It uses its disguise to protect itself from predators or get close to other animals to hunt them without getting detected. It is a small bird-of-night about eight inches tall and weighs around 0.2-0.5 lb (0.09-0.2 kg). It lives in wooded environments and is commonly found in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. It is a nocturnal hunter and avoids detection during the day due to its effective concealment amongst the bark of deciduous trees.

The Eastern Screech Owl comes in two colors, rufous and gray. Rufous colored birds live mainly in the south (pine trees), while gray individuals live primarily in the north (oak trees).

Though tagged as a screech owl, these owls do not screech but generate an even tone trill known as tremolo. Listen to the distinctive call of this owl in the nighttime.

The Eastern Screech Owl is a solitary animal except during the breeding season. The pair is primarily monogamous. The female owl lays eggs in nests located in natural cavities and hollow stumps and the incubation period is around 26 to 30 days. The male bird helps the female bird with brooding and brings food for the female and the hatchlings.

The Eastern Screech Owl hunts fish, crayfish, grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, small mammals such as bats and shrews, reptiles, amphibians, and other small birds. Their major predators are skunks, snakes, blue jays, and Virginia opossums.

When feeling threatened, these owls stretch their body and tighten their feathers to look like a dead tree branch to avoid being discovered.

Thank God for this wonderful animal that plays an important role in protecting the health of its habitat.

Browse our Factopedia section for unusual, random, and mind-blowing facts about some of our planet’s iconic natural wonders and animals, and praise our Heavenly Father for His intelligent design.