Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

I nter e s ting Fac t s screech-owl Easily the most common Ohio owl The only eastern North American owl with twodistinct color morphs – red and gray Eastern screech-owls have the most varied diet ofany North American owl, eating everything fromearthworms to songbirdsTips fo r Fi n d i n g anE a s ter n S cr eech - OwlWith a bit of knowledge, Eastern screech-owlsare very easy to find, and one might be surprised atnot only how common they can be, but at the placesthey’ll turn up. Even urban and suburban sites withscattered trees harbor screech-owls. The easiest wayto find them is to venture out on clear nights, andlisten. Judicious playing of their songs – or imitatingthem if you are a good whistler – frequently provokesa response.While they might turn up nearly anywhere, anideal habitat is young or semi-open woods, preferablywith a stream nearby. In such places, two or threeowls might be heard calling simultaneously.It always pays to take a good look at tree cavitiesduring the day. Occasionally, a drowsy owl will bespotted at the entrance to the cavity and can be admiredat length. Take note of abnormally excited flocks ofsmall birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice.These species often “mob” screech-owls found roostingin grapevine tangles or other dense cover during the dayand frenzied groups of small songbirds occasionally leadan observer to a roosting screech-owl.ech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owlrn creech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owll eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl eastern screech-owlcreech-owlterneastern screech-owl eastern screech-owl easterneasterscreech-owlastern screech-owlRange acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-roundYear-rounddistribution