Koepcke's screech owl
Koepcke's screech owl (Megascops koepckeae) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Peru. Taxonomy and systematics Koepcke's screech owl was originally described as a subspecies of tropical screech owl (then Otus choliba, now Megascops choliba), and they are now considered sister species. It was named in honor of Maria Koepcke, a German ornithologist who worked extensively in Peru. It has two subspecies, the nominate M. k. koepckeae and M. k. hockingi. Description Koepcke's screech owl is about long. Six individuals of M. k. koepckeae weighed and three of M. k. hockingi . The nominate subspecies has a whitish gray facial disc with darker speckles and a blackish rim. It has short whitish brows above yellow eyes. The crown is very dark brown with pale brown speckles. The upperparts are grayish brown to dark brown with blackish or dusky streaks and dark barring. The folded wing shows a line of whitish spots. The tail is dark brown with narrow ochre bars and small speckles. The underparts are grayish white and have wide dark brown streaks and irregular bars. The upper breast has a pale brownish ochre wash. M. k. hockingi is similar to the nominate