Megascops ingens
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The rufescent screech owl (Megascops ingens) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The last was formerly considered a distinct species, "Colombian screech owl". Two other forms that had previously been described as subspecies are now treated as individual variations of the nominate.
The rufescent screech owl is one of the larger species of its genus, similar in size to the white-throated screech owl (M. albogularis). Its overall length is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) and weight in males is 134 to 180 g (4.7 to 6.3 oz) and in females 140 to 223 g (4.9 to 7.9 oz). The nominate subspecies is sandy brown above with darker vermiculation. Its facial disc is sandy brown, without a distinct rim. The flight feathers are barred cinnamon and dusky and the tail is cinnamon with darker brown bars. The hind crown has buffy-whitish border. It has honey brown eyes and small ear tufts. The tarsi are feathered to the base of the toes. M. i. venezuelanus is slightly smaller... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufescent Screech-Owl sighting in Amboró National Park on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 80th most-seen of the 273 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rufescent Screech-Owl in Amboró National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–August, the lowest months. That is one of Amboró National Park's driest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 340 mm in January. June has too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufescent Screech-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Rufescent Screech-Owl sightings, Amboró National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Los Nevados National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%) and Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufescent Screech-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Amboró National Park (75 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
