Kingdom Animalia Order Strigiformes Genus Megascops Higher classification Screech owl | Phylum Chordata Family Strigidae Scientific name Megascops centralis Rank Species | |
Similar Screech owl, Owl, Bird, Middle American screech o, True owl | ||
The Chocó screech owl (Megascops centralis) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in humid lowland forests in western Ecuador, western Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. As suggested by its name, a large part of its range is in the Chocó.
It is replaced in South America east of the Andes by the foothill screech owl (M. roraimae), and from Costa Rica and north by the Middle American screech owl (M. guatemalae). The Chocó screech owl was originally described as a subspecies of the latter and some maintain this treatment, but inexplicably others have omitted it entirely (neither recognized as a species nor a subspecies). The Roraiman screech owl, Middle American screech owl and Chocó screech owl are very similar in appearance, but easily separated by voice.