screech owl

noun

1
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

Illustration of screech owl

Illustration of screech owl
  • screech owl 2

Examples of screech owl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This year, the Wildlife Center of Virginia posted on Facebook about an Eastern screech owl that flew into a glue trap. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of screech owl was in 1567

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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