Megascops centralis
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Chocó screech owl (Megascops centralis) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from central Panama to western Ecuador. The Chocó screech owl's taxonomy has undergone numerous changes. It has variously been treated as embedded in or a subspecies of the original Otus guatemalae and then as a subspecies of O. vermiculatus when that was split from O. guatemalae. In the early 2000s, all of the New World members of Otus were assigned to Megascops. As of 2019, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), the North and South American Classification Committees of the American Ornithological Society (AOS), and the Clements taxonomy treat it as a separate species, Megascops centralis.
However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World treats it as being embedded within M. vermiculatus vermiculatus, the nominate subspecies of vermiculated screech owl. The Chocó screech owl is monotypic.
The Chocó screech owl is 20.5 to 27 cm (8.1 to 10.6 in) long; two specimens weighed 106.7 and 121.5 g (3.76 and 4.29 oz). It has gray and rufous color morphs and many individuals' plumages are intermediate between the extremes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chocó Screech-Owl sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 171st most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chocó Screech-Owl in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months. That is one of Darién National Park's driest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 450 mm in November.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chocó Screech-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Chocó Screech-Owl sightings, Darién National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Soberanía National Park (Panama, about 10%) and Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chocó Screech-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (51 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.
