Page created on : November 22, 2001
Last updated : August 6, 2004

Eastern screech-owls are grey or reddish brown in colour, with small ears and brilliant yellow eyes. One of 14 species of the family Strigidae found in Canada, the Eastern screech-owl is a small nocturnal bird ­ a bonafide night owl ­ found in the southern parts of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and sometimes in Saskatchewan.

Eastern screech-owls stay in Canada year-round. In the warmer months, they feed on insects, small mammals (such as bats and flying squirrels), small fish, amphibians and reptiles. In the winter, they are limited to a diet of small mammals.

In late winter, the tremulous low whistle of the male Eastern screech-owl resounds through the open woodlands, groves, orchards and city parks where these birds dwell ­ a mating call to attract female screech-owls. Once a male finds a mate, she chooses a nesting site ­ an old woodpecker hole, a tree cavity, or perhaps a bird house ­ and lays three to seven eggs. During the 26 days of incubation, the male brings food to the female. After the babies are hatched, the parents continue to nourish them for several weeks until they leave the family territory.