Eastern Screech Owl

Another of the most amazing camouflage animals is the Eastern Screech owl. When it hides in the hollows of trees, its brown, gray, and white coloration mix in flawlessly with the bark, making it almost invisible. Feathers protrude from its head, breaking up its form and making it more difficult to discern.

This robin-sized nightbird may be found throughout most of the eastern United States, including city parks and leafy suburbs, where many humans are unaware they have an owl as a neighbor. The owl spends the day resting in holes or deep cover and only comes out to hunt at dusk. Despite their name, screech-owls do not shriek; instead, their vocalizations consist of whinnies and mild trills. The "red morph" or "rufous morph" of the Eastern screech owl has a more reddish-brown color. Eastern Screech owl hide among pine trees and shifting leaves, giving them the same level of camouflage as their gray counterparts.

Scientific Name: Megascops asio
Distribution: Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada