Central American Owls (excluding Mexico) Checklist

A Reference for Central American Owls

Convenient Owl Checklists

The Central American owls checklist below includes all owls that are possible in this region. All the owls found here are resident and nonmigratory. There are no truly endemic owls (found in only one country) although there are five owl species only found in Central America, color coded green, within the North American continent. Four of these species have ranges that at least partially cross into South America. Only one owl species, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, is neither found in Mexico nor has any South American Range.

Note: Owling.com covers all North America. Although the birdwatchers consider North America as just the US and Canada, North America is, properly, defined as all the countries from Panama to Greenland including the Caribbean islands. Our owl checklists are divided into North America (as the birdwatchers see it), Mexico, Central America (Guatemala to Panama), and the Caribbean Islands.

Scientific Name

Aegolius ridgwayi – Unspotted Saw-whet Owl
Asio stygius – Stygian Owl
Athene cunicularia – Burrowing Owl
Bubo virginianus – Great Horned Owl
Glaucidium cobanense – Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium costaricanum – Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium griseiceps – Central American Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium ridgwayi (brasilianum) – Ridgway’s (Ferruginous) Pygmy-Owl
Lophostrix cristata – Crested Owl
Megascops barbarus – Bearded Screech-Owl
Megascops centralis – Choco Screech-Owl
Megascops choliba – Tropical Screech-Owl
Megascops clarkii – Bare-shanked Screech-Owl
Megascops cooperi – Pacific Screech-Owl
Megascops guatemalae – Guatemalan Screech-Owl
Megascops trichopsis – Whiskered Screech-Owl
Megascops vermiculatus – Vermiculated Screech-Owl
Pseudoscops clamator – Striped Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus – Flammulated Owl
Pulsatrix perspicillata – Spectacled Owl
Strix fulvescens – Fulvous Owl
Strix nigrolineata – Black-and-white Owl
Strix squamulata (Ciccaba virgata ) – Mexican Wood Owl (Mottled Owl)
Tyto alba – Barn Owl

Size (largest to smallest)

Great Horned Owl – B. virginianus (17.7-25.2 in.)
Spectacled Owl – P. perspicillata (16.9-20.5 in.)
Fulvous Owl – S. fulvescens (16.1-17.7 in.)
Stygian Owl – A. stygius (15.0-18.1 in.)
Crested Owl – L. cristata (15.0-16.9 in.)
Black-and-white Owl – S. nigrolineata (13.8-15.7 in.)
Barn Owl – T. alba (13.4-15 in.)
Striped Owl – P. clamator (11.8-15.0 in.)
Mexican Wood Owl – S. squamulata (C. virgata ) (11.4-13.0 in.)
Pacific Screech-Owl – M. cooperi (9.1-10.2 in.)
Bare-shanked Screech-Owl – M. clarkii (9.1-9.8 in.)
Tropical Screech-Owl – M. choliba (7.9-9.8 in.)
Burrowing Owl – A. cunicularia (7.5-9.8 in.)
Vermiculated Screech-Owl – M. vermiculatus (7.9-9.1 in.)
Choco Screech-Owl – M. centralis (7.9-9.1 in.)
Guatemalan Screech-Owl – M. guatemalae (7.9-9.1 in.)
Unspotted Saw-whet Owl – A. ridgwayi (7.1-7.9 in.)
Whiskered Screech-Owl – M. trichopsis (6.7-7.5 in.)
Ridgway’s (Ferruginous) Pygmy-Owl – G. ridgwayi (brasilianum) (6.7-7.5 in.)
Bearded Screech-Owl – M. barbarus (6.7-7.1 in.)
Flammulated Owl – P. flammeolus (6.3-7.1 in.)
Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl – G. cobanense (6.3-7.1 in.)
Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl – G. costaricanum (5.9-5.9 in.)
Central American Pygmy-Owl – G. griseiceps (5.5-6.3 in.)