Long-tufted Screech-Owl Megascops sanctaecatarinae Scientific name definitions

In many respects an inadequately known species, the Long-tufted Screech-Owl is clearly closely related to the morphologically similar Black-capped Screech-Owl (Megascops atricapilla), although it is reportedly larger, bulkier and has more powerful talons than the latter, as well as having longer ear tufts. It is of principally more austral distribution than the Black-capped Screech-Owl, although there is considered to be extensive overlap between them, with the present species occurring from Santa Catarina, Brazil, south to Uruguay and northeasternmost Argentina. Three colour morphs have been reported in the literature, brown, grey, and red, of which the first-named is considered to be the commonest. Two song-types are known, a guttural, rapid trill lasting 6–8 seconds, starting very faintly, increasing in volume and ending abruptly, and, secondly, a reverse ‘bouncing-ball’ phrase that is given as a male-female duet. Long-tufted Screech-Owl inhabits semi-open forested areas, as well as adjacent farmland, and is found at elevations from approximately 300 m to 1000 m. Typically nocturnal, it feeds on a variety of insectivorous prey, as well as small vertebrates. Its breeding ecology is presumably similar to those of other Megascops, but remains to be properly elucidated.

25–28 cm (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 155–194 g, female 174–211 g. Large  Megascops, with heavy body and strong feet. Occurs in brown and rufous morphs. Differs from narrowly sympatric M. atricapilla in larger size (wing length 182–210 mm versus 170–184 mm in atricapilla (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ) and bulkier build, longer and wider ear tufts, lighter-coloured crown, usually less distinct streaking, eye colour, much stronger feet  and talons; from wholly sympatric M. choliba by much larger size and longer ear tufts (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Irides pale yellow  to orange-yellow (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) (occasionally pale brown); cere and bill greenish-grey ; toes pale greyish-brown (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile undescribed.

Perhaps a member of the putative M. atricapilla species-group; recent analysis using 3 nuclear genes and 3 mitochondrial genes placed it in clade with M. asio, M. kennicottii, M. cooperi, M. barbarus, M. atricapilla, M. roboratus, M. watsonii, M. guatemalae and M. vermiculatus (2 Dantas, S.M., Weckstein, J.D., Bates, J.M., Krabbe, N.K., Cadena, C.D., Robbins, M.B., Valderrama, E. and Aleixo, A. (2016). Molecular systematics of the new world screech-owls (Megascops: Aves, Strigidae): biogeographic and taxonomic implications. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 94(2):626–634. Close ). Formerly considered conspecific with M. atricapilla, but vocally and morphologically distinct, and treatment as separate species further supported by DNA evidence. Taxonomy of Megascops in S Brazil and Argentine province of Misiones remains to be clarified. Name argentinus, which has erroneously been applied to S populations of M. atricapilla, might ultimately prove to be a senior synonym for present species, but fuller investigation needed (3 Dickinson, E. C., and J. V. Remsen, Editors (2013). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth edition. Volume 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ). Name maxima is a synonym of sanctaecatarinae. Monotypic.

SE Brazil (S Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), NE Argentina (Misiones) and N Uruguay (4 Azpiroz, A.B., Menéndez, J.L., Jaramillo, A., Presa, D., Calimares, C., Saralegui, A. and Abente, J.S. (2012). New information on the distribution and status of birds in Uruguay. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 132(1): 46–54. Close ).

Semi-open woodland, wooded pasture, upland moors with patches of Araucaria, and forest edge and secondary growth; locally, trees and copses in and near villages and agricultural areas; avoids dense forest. Found mainly at elevations from 300–1000 m (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Probably resident (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Insects and small vertebrates. Food items provided to nestlings in Paraná State, Brazil, included spiders, cockroaches, crickets, mole crickets, mice, amphibians and, quite regularly, fishes (5 Messias, S. (2015). Auxiliando a reprodução da corujinha-do-sul (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) no quintal de casa. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 183: 18–20. In Portuguese. Close ). At a nest in Rio Grande do Sol State, S Brazil, 97 prey items consisted of 77·3% invertebrates (mostly orthopterans, hemipterans and coleopterans) and 22·7% vertebrates (mostly Mus musculus but also two birds and three frogs) (6 Zilio, F., Zucatti, B. and Scheibler, D.R. (2018). Diet of Long-tufted Screech-Owl in a southern Brazilian agroecosystem. Journal of Raptor Research. 52(1):115-117. Close ). Reported as a sit-and-wait hunter, dropping from perch onto prey.

Male primary song a guttural, fast trill , c. 13–14 notes per second, lasting from c. 5–10 seconds and ending suddenly; female version shorter, higher; male secondary song short fast notes that become longer and more spaced, in reversed bouncing-ball rhythm, phrase c. 5 seconds; female secondary song loud, hoarse, extraordinary, “bababa...”, unlike any other screech-owl. Primary song similar to that M. atricapilla but less clear and somewhat ventriloquial, sounding as though two birds are singing at the same time (1 König, C., F. Weick, and J.-H. Becking (2008). Owls of the World. Second Edition. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Season apparently from late Aug/Sept; nest in tree cavity. Two nests in Paraná State, S Brazil, were in tree holes c. 3 m above the ground, one of them in a woodpecker hole; one had two recently hatched chicks in late Sept, and in the following year two well-grown chicks in mid Nov; in the second nest two chicks were fledged in early Jan; recently hatched chicks had pink skin and white down (7 Bichinski, T.A.T. (2012). Nota sobre a nidificação de Megascops sanctaecatarinae no município de Piraí do Sul, Paraná. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 168: 4–6. In Portuguese. Close ). In an artifical nest, also in Paraná State, only female incubated and two chicks were fledged, in early Oct (5 Messias, S. (2015). Auxiliando a reprodução da corujinha-do-sul (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) no quintal de casa. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 183: 18–20. In Portuguese. Close ). No other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. No information on numbers or population trends, but probably declining. Common in forested parts of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina; formerly locally common in N Misiones, in NE Argentina, but appears to have declined; documented in one protected area there, Cruce Caballero Provincial Park (8 Bodrati, A., K. Cockle, J. M. Segovia, I. Roesler, J. I. Areta, and E. Jordan (2010). La avifauna del Parque Provincial Cruce Caballero, Provincia de Misiones, Argentina. Cotinga 32:41–64. Close ). Generally overlooked, especially as a result of confusion with M. atricapilla. Loss of habitat through overgrazing, burning and tree-felling represents greatest threat to species.