January 15, 2016
Screech Owls
Last week in this space we took a look at the life and times of Strix varia, the barred owl. Although still considered a rare species in Kane County, it seems to be increasing its range throughout our area. Thanks to those who responded to our request for sightings, we now know of barred owls in the Townships of Sugar Grove, Blackberry, Batavia, Campton and St. Charles.
While barred owls are becoming more common, it has me wondering what’s going on with another local species. Little Megascops asio, the eastern screech owl, is listed as uncommon in our area. But, at least from what I’ve been seeing, they are getting harder and harder to find.
When I first moved to St. Charles 23 years ago, screech owls were one of the first neighbors I met. They and I shared a common bond of being nocturnal by nature. When I was up late, they were too. Their distinctive trills and haunting whinnies—some of the neatest night sounds around—were a regular part of my night-time strolls.
But for the last 10 years or so, my screech companions are nowhere to be found. That they may have moved away from my neighborhood isn’t itself that unusual. Individuals of any species will move around in response to changing conditions. What has me more than a little concerned about screech owls is that I’m not the only one who’s missing them.
They’ve had a few challenges in recent years, for sure. Great horned owls appear to be doing very well, particularly in eastern Kane County. Despite the development–or maybe because of it–the species is thriving in St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia. And guess what preys on screech owls?
Yep, great horned owls.
Guess what else?
Yep, barred owls.
Other potential threats to screeches in our area include habitat loss (I know the open space where “my” screeches used to nest has houses on it now) as well as roving opportunists like raccoons and feral cats. Also, in a twist of irony, screech owls sometimes are displaced from their cavity nests by European starlings—a bird the screeches sometimes consume.
I guess this all is my very roundabout way of asking this week’s nature question: Have you seen or heard eastern screech owls in our area and, if so, where and when?
Last week when I asked the same question for barred owls, I suggested using the photo that had been supplied for reference. I would do the same for this week, except that screech owls aren’t quite so easily identified.
Among their many cool characteristics is the fact that this single species is dichromatic—it has two color variations, gray and red. Dark streaks on individuals of either color aid in camouflage and help these small owls blend in against the tree bark they are so often perched near.
By small, we’re talking less than 10 in. in height. In fact, this small stature combined with the feather tufts on top of the head cause some people to believe they are looking at a young great horned owl rather than a screech owl. Thing is, by the time a young GHO is old enough to leave the nest, even though it may be only a couple months old, it will match its parents in height—around 20 in., or twice the size of a screech owl.
Look—and listen–for screech owls in areas of mature trees. They rely on tree cavities for nesting as well as for winter roosts, so if the trees are mature enough to have holes in them, all the better.
If you find a screech, great! I would love to hear about it. If you used to have them and now you don’t, bummer. But if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to hear about those instances too. I’ll include any and all observations in next week’s column. Thanks a bunch!
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.
This photo of an eastern screech owl dates to 2009—a time when the Hickory Knolls Natural Area was known as Campton Hills Park, and when screech owls were a lot easier to find.