Megascops sanctaecatarinae
The Long-tufted Screech Owl, *Megascops sanctaecatarinae*, is a strikingly cryptic, medium-sized Neotropical owl, measuring approximately 23-28 cm (9-11 inches) in length with a wingspan of 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) and weighing 150-250 grams. Its plumage is typically a mottled grayish-brown, intricately patterned with darker streaks and fine barring, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark. The most distinctive field mark, true to its name, is its conspicuously long and often pointed ...
Found primarily in subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, the Long-tufted Screech Owl prefers higher-elevation sections of the Atlantic Forest biome, typically ranging from 500 to 1800 meters.
The diet of the Long-tufted Screech Owl consists mainly of large insects (such as moths, beetles, and grasshoppers), spiders, and small vertebrates including rodents, small birds, frogs, and lizards, captured by swooping from a perch.
This strictly nocturnal owl is highly cryptic, spending its days roosting motionless in dense foliage, often near the trunk of a tree, or in tree cavities, relying on its camouflage to avoid detection. Foraging occurs mainly from an elevated perch, where it patiently waits before swooping down to...
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is largely endemic to the southeastern regions of Brazil, primarily inhabiting the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, and São Paulo. Its range extends somewhat into extreme northeastern Argentina, specifically the Misiones province, and potentially in...
Least Concern
- The Long-tufted Screech Owl is endemic to a specific region of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil and possibly adjacent parts of Argentina and Paraguay. - Its scientific name, *sanctaecatarinae*, literally means 'of Santa Catarina', referring to the Brazilian state where it was first fo...