Illustration of screech owl
- screech owl 2
screech owl
noun
1
: barn owl
2
: any of various New World owls (genus Otus)
especially
: either of two small owls (O. asio of eastern North America and O. kennicottii of western North America) with a pair of tufts of lengthened feathers on the head resembling ears
Examples of screech owl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The secret world of owls When David Johnson was 11 years old, an eastern screech owl landed on the edge of his tent.
—
David Morgan, CBS News, 22 June 2023
That would ensure a migratory path for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer, and protect critical habitat for the desert tortoises, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, western screech owls, and Gila monsters that are native to the region.
—Coral Davenport, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2023
That would ensure a migratory path for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer, and protect critical habitat for the desert tortoises, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, western screech owls and Gila monsters that are native to the region.
—Coral Davenport, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023
Another honorable mention went to wildlife biologist Bruce Taubert for his photograph of a rare screech owl grabbing a nonnative Mediterranean gecko in Arizona.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
Little Pippen, a snowy owl named Owlfred, an eastern screech owl named Arleen and Tonks, a great horned owl that came to Humane Indiana in 2017 as a baby that fell out of a tree in Munster.
—Jessi Virtusio, chicagotribune.com, 14 Oct. 2021
Chase is a young Merlin; Warner is an eastern screech owl who spent time at Warner Nature Center; and Tufts is a new great horned owl.
—Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 1 July 2021
The eastern screech owl does not build a nest but instead inhabits hollows or cavities in trees, using the naturally occurring layer of feathers and debris from her previous meals as a lining on which to lay her eggs.
—Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2014
Other species to watch for include Arizona woodpecker, whiskered screech owl and Hutton’s vireo.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
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David Morgan, CBS News, 22 June 2023
That would ensure a migratory path for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer, and protect critical habitat for the desert tortoises, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, western screech owls, and Gila monsters that are native to the region.
—Coral Davenport, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2023
That would ensure a migratory path for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer, and protect critical habitat for the desert tortoises, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, western screech owls and Gila monsters that are native to the region.
—Coral Davenport, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023
Another honorable mention went to wildlife biologist Bruce Taubert for his photograph of a rare screech owl grabbing a nonnative Mediterranean gecko in Arizona.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
Little Pippen, a snowy owl named Owlfred, an eastern screech owl named Arleen and Tonks, a great horned owl that came to Humane Indiana in 2017 as a baby that fell out of a tree in Munster.
—Jessi Virtusio, chicagotribune.com, 14 Oct. 2021
Chase is a young Merlin; Warner is an eastern screech owl who spent time at Warner Nature Center; and Tufts is a new great horned owl.
—Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 1 July 2021
The eastern screech owl does not build a nest but instead inhabits hollows or cavities in trees, using the naturally occurring layer of feathers and debris from her previous meals as a lining on which to lay her eggs.
—Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2014
Other species to watch for include Arizona woodpecker, whiskered screech owl and Hutton’s vireo.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'screech owl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near screech owl
Cite this Entry
“Screech owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screech%20owl. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
screech owl
noun
: either of two small North American owls that have two tufts of feathers on the head that look like ears
More from Merriam-Webster on screech owl
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screech owl
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