Megascops atricapilla
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The black-capped screech owl (Megascops atricapilla), or variable screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The black-capped screech owl is monotypic. It is part of a complex of species that includes the Santa Marta screech owl (M. gilesi), West Peruvian screech owl (M. roboratus), tawny-bellied screech owl (M. watsonii), and perhaps other undescribed species.
The black-capped screech owl is 22 to 23 cm (8.7 to 9.1 in) long. Males weigh 115 to 140 g (4.1 to 4.9 oz) and females up to 160 g (5.6 oz). It occurs in brown, rufous, and gray morphs. All have a light facial disc with a distinct dark border, a blackish crown, and prominent "ear" tufts. Their eye color ranges from dark brown to amber. The brown morph's upperparts are dark brown with pale mottling and vermiculation. The folded wing shows a line of pale spots. The underparts are paler with irregular markings. The other two morphs are redder and grayer respectively.
The black-capped screech owl is found in southeastern Brazil, southeastern Paraguay, and extreme northeastern Argentina. It... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Screech-Owl sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 166 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 219th most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Screech-Owl in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Iguazú National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 90 mm in August.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-capped Screech-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 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 Black-capped Screech-Owl sightings, Iguazú National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Iguaçu National Park (Brazil, under 5%) and Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-capped Screech-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (166 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.
