Megascops guatemalae
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Middle American screech owl (Megascops guatemalae), also known as the Guatemalan screech owl or the vermiculated screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found from northern Mexico to western Panama.
The taxonomy of the Middle American screech owl is somewhat unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these six subspecies, but notes that fuscus and dacrysistactus might not be distinct enough to warrant subspecies status.
Until July 2023 the IOC treated vermiculatus as a separate species, the vermiculated screech owl; the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS/NACC) and the Clements taxonomy had included it earlier. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) retains vermiculatus as the separate vermiculated screech owl.
The AOS/NACC and Clements add another subspecies, M. g. thompsoni, which the IOC includes within the nominate M. g... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 8 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 9 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 10 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 12 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 13 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 14 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 15 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 16 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Vermiculated Screech-Owl sighting in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 229th most-seen of the 240 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vermiculated Screech-Owl in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July and September–December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Vermiculated Screech-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
5th of 16
Of the 16 parks where we can rate Vermiculated Screech-Owl sightings, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 10%), Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 10%) and Cañón del Sumidero National Park (Mexico, about 10%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Vermiculated Screech-Owl that you can see in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are Mottled Owl (about 10%) and Central American Pygmy-Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Vermiculated Screech-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (7 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.
