The Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi) probably gets its name from the screeching call it gives when scared, but may come from its typical whinnying vocalization. It is a medium-sized screech owl with prominent barred ear-tufts and yellow eyes which occurs on the Southern Pacific slope of Mexico to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Its feathers are grey and covered in a combination of blackish lines and pale blotting. Their plumage can easily match the coloration of their surrounding landscapes. The bulk of the Pacific screech owl menu is made up of insects such as moths, katydids and beetles, but it also eats sizable arthropods like scorpions as well as rodents. It lives in forests, savannas, swamps, woods and arid woodlands.
