Nicholas Pond Trail

Western Screech Owl (Otus kennicottii)

Western screech owl (Otus kenniottii)

The Western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) is a small owl native to North and Central America, closely related to the European scops owl and the North American eastern screech owl. These birds wait on perches to swoop down on unsuspecting prey; they may also catch insects in flight. They are active at dawn, night or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice or rats, birds, and large insects; however they are opportunistic predators, even taking small trout at night. Motion-activated cameras have photographed the birds eagerly scavenging a road-kill opossum.

Source: Wikipedia