Megascops roboratus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Strigiformes

Familia: Strigidae
Subfamilia: Striginae
Genus: Megascops
Species: Megascops roboratus
Subspecies: M. r. pacificus – M. r. roboratus
Name

Megascops roboratus (Bangs & Noble, 1918)
Synonyms

Otus roboratus (protonym)

References

The Auk 35 p. 448 BHL

Links

IUCN: Megascops roboratus (Least Concern)

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Peru-Kreischeule
English: West Peruvian Screech-owl
español: Autillo peruano
suomi: Perunpöllönen
français: Petit-duc du Pérou
Nederlands: Marañón-schreeuwuil
svenska: Västperuansk skrikuv

The West Peruvian screech owl or Peruvian screech owl (Megascops roboratus) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.[3]

Taxonomy and systematics

The West Peruvian screech owl has sometimes been treated as conspecific with the tropical screech owl (M. choliba) though their vocalizations are distinct. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate M. r. roboratus and M. r. pacificus. The latter has been suggested as a species in its own right.[3][4][5]
Description

The nominate subspecies of West Peruvian screech owl is 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in) long and weighs 144 to 162 g (5.1 to 5.7 oz). It has both gray and rufous morphs. The former has a grayish facial disc with a black border, white brows above pale to golden yellow eyes, and small "ear" tufts. The crown is blackish brown and the upperparts gray brown with slight darker bars. It has a pale nuchal collar. Its underparts are whitish with faint vermiculation. The rufous morph is pale rufous all over with dark brown markings.[4]

M. r. pacificus is smaller and lighter than the nominate, 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long and weighing 70 to 90 g (2.5 to 3.2 oz). Its gray morph is typically grayer than the nominate but there is much overlap. Its rufous morph is more common than that of the nominate.[4]
Distribution and habitat

The pacificus subspecies of West Peruvian screech owl is found from Santa Elena and Guayas Provinces in southwestern Ecuador south slightly into northwestern Peru as far as Lambayeque Province. The nominate M. r. roboratus is found inland, in the drainages of the Río Chinchipe and Río Marañón between the western and central Andes.[3][4]

M. r. roboratus inhabits dry deciduous woodland, on mountain slopes and hills. In elevation it mostly ranges between 500 and 1,200 m (1,600 and 3,900 ft) but is found as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft) in Eduador and 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in Peru. M. r. pacificus inhabits dry coastal scrub and deciduous forest, generally from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft).[4]
Behavior
Feeding

As far as is known, the West Peruvian screech owl is strictly nocturnal. Its diet is mostly, and possibly exclusively, insects.[4]
Breeding

Both subspecies have been documented to nest in tree cavities, and the nominate has also possibly used old nests of the Pale-legged Hornero (Furnarius leucopus). Little else is known.[4]
Vocalization

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to West Peruvian screech owl on xeno-canto

The nominate West Peruvian screech owl's song is "a trill of equally spaced notes increasing in volume toward the end". That of M. r. pacificus is "a similar trill that rises in volume and drops slightly in pitch at toward the end".[4]
Status

The IUCN has assessed the West Peruvian screech owl as being of Least Concern.[1] However, it is "overall rare and possibly vulnerable" and "much habitat [has been] rendered unsuitable" by grazing and woodcutting.[4]
References

BirdLife International (2016). "Peruvian screech owl Megascops roboratus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
"Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
Holt, D. W., R. Berkley, C. Deppe, P. L. Enríquez, J. L. Petersen, J. L. Rangel Salazar, K. P. Segars, K. L. Wood, and J. S. Marks (2020). Peruvian Screech-Owl (Megascops roboratus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.persco1.01 retrieved August 8, 2021
Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 23 May 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved May 24, 2021