Megascops cooperi
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Pacific screech owl (Megascops cooperi) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The Pacific screech owl has sometimes been treated as a race of western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) or eastern screech owl (M. asio) but its vocalizations are distinct from theirs. The latter has also sometimes been treated as a separate species. The IUCN has assessed the Pacific screech owl as being of Least Concern. Its population is estimated to exceed 50,000 mature individuals but is believed to be decreasing.
The Pacific screech owl is a medium-sized member of Megascops and has prominent "ear" tufts and bright yellow eyes. The nominate subspecies is 23 to 26 cm (9.1 to 10.2 in) long and weighs 145 to 175 g (5.1 to 6.2 oz). Its facial disc is pale gray with a white and blackish border. Its crown and upperparts are a pale tawny gray with dusky and black vermiculation. Its closed wing shows two pale lines. It has paler off-white underparts with a darker herringbone pattern. M. c. lambi is 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 9 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Screech-Owl sighting in Santa Rosa National Park on a given day, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 121st most-seen of the 233 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.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Screech-Owl in Santa Rosa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and July–October, the lowest months. That is one of Santa Rosa National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 450 mm in October.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pacific Screech-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Pacific Screech-Owl sightings, Santa Rosa National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Carara National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pacific Screech-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Santa Rosa National Park (94 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.
