Guatemalan Screech-Owl (Megascops guatemalae)

Other Scientific Names
Otus guatemalae [BirdLife International (2004)], Otus guatemalae [Stotz et al. (1996)]

Other Names (World)
Guatemalan Screech-Owl, Middle American Screech-Owl, Middle American Screech Owl

Family
Strigidae (Typical Owls)

Size
20 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Sharpe, 1875)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest. From sea-level - 1,800 m.

Range (Guide)

Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 50,000 - 499,999 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (26)...)

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) [XC400116]
by Eric Hough from San Juan Bautista Valle Nacional, San Juan Bautista Valle Nacional, Oaxaca, Mexico (song)

Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) [XC773026]
by Richard C. Hoyer from La Esmeralda, Santa Mar\u00eda Chimalapa, Oaxaca, Mexico (song)

Subspecies
Otus atricapillus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Otus atricapilla and Otus guatemalae following AOU (1998) and SACC (2005) and Otus hoyi following SACC (2005). These species have subsequently been moved to the genus Megascops following AOU (2003). Otus guatemalae (AOU 1998) includes Otus vermiculatus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993). Gender agreement of Megascops atricapilla follows David and Gosselin (2002a).

Perhaps a member of a superspecies, along with Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Megascops vermiculatus), Yungas Screech-Owl (Megascops hoyi), Black-capped Screech-Owl (Megascops atricapilla) and Long-tufted Screech-Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae). Sometimes considered conspecific with Long-tufted Screech-Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae). Has been treated as conspecific with Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Megascops vermiculatus), but vocally distinct. Subspecies tomlini, fuscus and thompsoni possibly inadequately differentiated to merit subspecific status.

Proposed subspecies pettingilli and peteni included in hastatus and nominate guatemalae respectively.

The following 8 subspecies are recognised:

tomlini (Moore, RT, 1937) - North-western Mexico (southern Sonora and south-western Chihuahua south to Sinaloa).
hastatus Ridgway, 1887 - South-western Sinaloa to Oaxaca.
cassini (Ridgway, 1878) - Eastern Mexico (southern Tamaulipas and northern Veracruz).
fuscus (Moore, RT & Peters, JL, 1939) - Veracruz.
thompsoni Cole, 1906 - Yucatán Peninsula and Cozumel I.
guatemalae (Sharpe, 1875) - South-eastern Mexico (southern Veracruz and north-eastern Oaxaca) to Honduras.
dacrysistactus (Moore, RT & Peters, JL, 1939) - Northern Nicaragua.
vermiculatus Ridgway, 1887 - North-eastern Costa Rica to north-western Colombia, northern Venezuela.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Guatemalan Screech-Owl (Megascops guatemalae) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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