Black-capped Screech-owl vs Snowy Owl
Megascops atricapilla compared with Bubo scandiacus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-capped Screech-owl | Snowy Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megascops atricapilla | Bubo scandiacus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae | Strigidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 63.0 cm (24.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 34.2 cm (13.5 in) | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Weight | 133.0 g (4.69 oz) | 2100.0 g (74.08 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Primarily lemmings on the breeding grounds, where a pair may consume over 1,500 per year. … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 3-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Black-capped Screech-owl only
Snowy Owl only
Snowy Owl
Arctic tundra for breeding. Winters in open habitats resembling tundra, including prairies, airports, shorelines, and agricultural fields.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-capped Screech-owl
Snowy Owl
Male gives a deep booming hoot 'hooooo' and a rising 'hoo-hoo' series. Also barks sharply when alarmed. Quieter than many owls; silent during long Arctic winter hunts.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-capped Screech-owl
Snowy Owl
Circumpolar Arctic for breeding. Irruptive winter movements bring birds south to the northern United States, Europe, and Asia.
Conservation Status
Black-capped Screech-owl
Snowy Owl
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-capped Screech-owl
Snowy Owl
Adult males are almost entirely white. Females and immatures have dark brown barring and spotting. Yellow eyes and fully feathered feet.
Dark hooked bill mostly hidden by dense facial feathering
About These Birds
Black-capped Screech-owl
The Black-capped Screech-owl is a small, nocturnal owl of Atlantic Forest in southeastern South America, with distinctive ear tufts, a black-bordered facial disc, and cryptic brown-streaked plumage. It inhabits the forest understory and edges of humid forests in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. It feeds on large insects, small mammals, and other small vertebrates at night.
Snowy Owl
The snowy owl is the heaviest North American owl and one of the most charismatic Arctic birds. Unlike most owls, it is largely diurnal, necessitated by the continuous daylight of Arctic summers. Snowy owl irruptions — periodic mass southward movements — are tied to lemming population cycles.