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Gray Screech Owl
Red Screech Owl

Vocabulary

  • Nocturnal – occurring or active at night.
  • Niche – where an animal fits in the environment, habitat or ecosystem; the specific role an animal plays in its ecosystem.
  • Tufts – collection of threads, hair or feathers that are grouped together.
  • Incubation – the process of keeping something in the right environment at the right temperature for the developmental process to occur.
  • Owl pellet – the undigested parts of animals that an owl has eaten, such as fur and bones, that they regurgitate.

Fun Facts

  • Screech owls have two morphs, or color phases. They can be either gray or red, and stay the same color their whole life.
  • Red screech owls have a higher rate of metabolism than gray ones.
  • Screech owls live in a wide variety of environments and eat a wide variety of food. They have the broadest niche of all owls in North America.
  • The owl’s ears are offset so they can triangulate sounds and find their prey better.
  • Their eggs take 27-35 days to incubate.
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