Birds of Panama - Megascops


Choco Screech Owl (Megascops centralis) Valle de Cauca, Colombia Rufous morph.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

Split from the Vermiculated Screech Owl because of vocalization differences (shorter song). The two species split is somewhere in central Panama. Lacking black border to facial disk seen on Tropical Screech Owl (if you see one without hearing it). There is a grey morph that does appears to have a bit of a border to the facial disk (or maybe the few photos show a shadow), and a rufous morph.
Rufous morph roosting.


Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) ProAves Blue-billed Curassow Reserve, Puerto Pinzon, Boyaca, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

Widespread and common, and best identified by black border to facial disk, and the rising final note in song.
A grey and a rufous owl at a typical roost site.
Daytime shot from back.


Bare-shanked Screech Owl (Megascops clarkii) Cartago, Prusia, Costa Rica
Photograph by Jorge Obando Gutierrez © Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved.


Bare-shanked Screech Owl (Megascops clarkii) San Gerardo da Dota, Costa Rica
Photograph by George Scott Photography © All Rights Reserved.


Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) Costa Rica Comes in brown and rufous morphs. Vermiculated means marked by wavy lines.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Middle American Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) Yucatan, Mexico Rufous (not brown) morph.
Photograph by Edward Boyd © All Rights Reserved.

In 2023 the former Vermiculated Screech Owl was lumped with this species until they figure out the taxonomy of these similar screech owls.