12th of Owltober!

Original post – 24 Sep 2020
by The Center for Birds of Prey
located in Awendaw, South Carolina
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The red phase Eastern Screech Owl after admission to our medical clinic.

Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) exhibit color polymorphism, where their plumage ranges in color between red, brown and gray. While for some raptors color differences can be indicative of age, or even more rarely sex, this is not the case for the color phases of the Eastern Screech Owl. Color polymorphism is instead a result of genetic variation within a species, causing two or more color types.

These owls have a large range throughout North America, being found in nearly all types of forested areas east of the Rockies. Interestingly enough, individuals in the northern and western parts of their range are more likely to be gray in color, while the rufous morph individuals are more commonly seen in the southeastern part of their range. Because these morphs are not strictly defined to one region or environment, it makes an interesting area of ongoing research for ornithologists.

Earlier this year, we treated both gray and red phase Eastern Screech Owls at our Avian Medical Clinic. The gray phase featured in (the original post) is the one that was coated in hardened insulation foam, and the rufous phase was treated after a collision with a motor vehicle at 45 mph. These small but resilient raptors were both released recently, along with a group of young Screech Owls that had been injured or orphaned and raised at our medical clinic over the summer.

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Link to donate to The Center for Birds of Prey for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉