The Western Screech-Owl is the western counterpart of the Eastern Screech-Owl and is similarly small and cryptic. Its call is a series of whistles accelerating into a trill — quite different from the eastern bird's whinny. It inhabits desert saguaro forests, suburban trees, and mountain forests. The two species were considered the same until the 1980s.
Best time to see a Western Screech-Owl
The best time to see a Western Screech-Owl is February–July, when about 60% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 5,808 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Western Screech-Owl? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Western Screech-Owl sightings near you
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