How to Identify an Eastern Screech Owl: A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

I didn’t grow up thinking I’d ever care enough to distinguish one owl from another. Birds were just… birds. But when I moved into a quieter neighborhood, I started hearing strange nighttime trills outside my window. Not the classic hoot you associate with owls something softer, almost like a whistle crossed with a tremolo.

Curiosity led to flashlights, late-night Googling, and eventually a small obsession. That mysterious sound belonged to an Eastern Screech Owl a tiny owl often living much closer to people than we realize.

Unlike the dramatic Great Grey Owl or the wide-eyed Barn Owl, the Eastern Screech Owl is small, camouflaged, and almost secretive. So if you’re new to identifying owls, this little one can be surprisingly easy to miss unless you know what signs to look for.

Let’s break down how to recognize this owl with confidence even if you’re just starting your bird-watching journey.

1. Size and Shape: Small but Mighty

The Eastern Screech Owl is one of the smaller owl species in North America.

Key features to notice:

• Height: About 6–10 inches (roughly soda-can height)
• Stocky body with a rounded head
• Small “ear tufts” that look like tiny horns (not actually ears!)

Despite the tufts, they’re not related to the similarly tufted Short Eared Owl. The tufts on screech owls help with camouflage by breaking up their silhouette among tree bark.

If you see a small owl with a wide, friendly face and pointed little tufts, you may have found one.

2. Color Patterns: Nature's Camouflage Expert

Eastern Screech Owls come in two main color variations:

• Grey morph
• Rufous (reddish-brown) morph

Both patterns mimic tree bark incredibly well, which makes them great at being invisible.

If you’re in Florida, or other warmer southeastern regions, you’re more likely to spot the rufous variety. Other regions tend to have more grey ones.

When scanning trees, look for:

• Texture that looks too “perfect”
• A shape that doesn’t quite match the branch
• A pair of half-closed eyes blending into the bark

Once you see one, you’ll never un-see how owl-shaped trees can be.

3. The Call: Listen for the Trill

This is the fun part.

The owl call of the Eastern Screech Owl is not a hoot it sounds like:

• A soft descending whistle
• Or a tremolo trill, like a tiny horse whinnying gently

Play the sound once online and then step outside at night. You might discover you’ve been hearing them for years without knowing it.

Tip: The calls of barn owl and great grey owl are much deeper, louder, or harsher. The screech owl’s call is subtle and gentle almost calming.

4. Where They Live: Your Own Backyard Might Be One

Unlike many elusive owls, Eastern Screech Owls thrive in suburban and semi-wooded neighborhoods. Parks, backyard trees, orchards anywhere with enough greenery and insects.

They love:

• Hollow tree cavities
• Quiet wooded edges
• Backyard nest opportunities

If you'd like to encourage a visit, consider installing owl boxes. These mimic natural tree hollows and are surprisingly effective especially in areas with native trees and low pesticide use.

If you're researching Owls in Florida, eastern screech owls are extremely common they’re just shy.

5. When to Look (or Listen)

These owls are most active:

• At dusk
• At night
• In early dawn hours

So instead of scanning the sky, shift your attention:

• Toward dark tree trunks
• Toward branches close to the trunk
• Toward the edges of yards or quiet paths

And of course listen.

Your ears will find them before your eyes do.

Conclusion

Identifying an Eastern Screech Owl isn’t just about spotting a bird it’s about tuning into the quieter details around you. Once you learn what to listen for and where to look, the world feels a little more alive.

Take your time. Step outside one evening. Pause and listen.

You might realize that nature isn’t somewhere “out there” it’s right outside your window, softly trilling in the night.