Mexican Owls Checklist

A Reference for Mexican Owls

Convenient Owl Checklists

The checklists below include all owls that are possible in Mexico. All owls, except Short-eared Owl, are resident somewhere in the country year-round. Short-eared Owl is strictly a winter visitor. Mexico has five endemic owl species giving it the highest number of endemic owls of any country in Central or North America. The Lists are sorted by Common Name, Scientific Name, Taxonomic Order, and Size. This is intended to help the reader find an owl by what they know, read, or see. Special color codes have also been added to the lists. Owls that are endemic are color coded green. Short-eared Owl that is migratory and only present during the winter is color coded blue. The common and scientific names are sorted alphabetically. The taxonomic list is sorted as they are classified in science. The size list sorts the owls by size (length) which may help the reader find an owl they see by its size. All owls are linked to their individual pages that have pictures, calls, video, range maps, and discussion about the species.

Scientific Name

Aegolius acadicus – Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius ridgwayi – Unspotted Saw-whet Owl
Asio flammeus – Short-eared Owl
Asio otus – Long-eared Owl
Asio stygius – Stygian Owl
Athene cunicularia – Burrowing Owl
Bubo virginianus – Great Horned Owl
Glaucidium cobanense – Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma – Mountain Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium griseiceps – Central American Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium hoskinsii – Cape Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium palmarum – Colima Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium ridgwayi (brasilianum) – Ridgway’s (Ferruginous) Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium sanchezi – Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl
Lophostrix cristata – Crested Owl
Megascops asio – Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops barbarus – Bearded Screech-Owl
Megascops cooperi – Pacific Screech-Owl
Megascops guatemalae – Guatemalan Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii – Western Screech-Owl
Megascops lambi – Oaxaca Screech-Owl
Megascops seductus – Balsas Screech-Owl
Megascops trichopsis – Whiskered Screech-Owl
Micrathene whitneyi – Elf Owl
Pseudoscops clamator – Striped Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus – Flammulated Owl
Pulsatrix perspicillata – Spectacled Owl
Strix fulvescens – Fulvous Owl
Strix nigrolineata – Black-and-white Owl
Strix occidentalis – Spotted Owl
Strix squamulata (Ciccaba virgata ) – Mexican Wood Owl  (Mottled Owl)
Strix varia – Barred Owl
Tyto alba – Barn Owl

Size (largest to smallest)

Great Horned Owl – B. virginianus (17.7-25.2 in.)
Barred Owl – S. varia (18.9-21.7 in.)
Spectacled Owl – P. perspicillata (16.9-20.5 in.)
Spotted Owl – S. occidentalis (16.1-18.9 in.)
Fulvous Owl – S. fulvescens (16.1-17.3 in.)
Stygian Owl – A. stygius (15.0-18.1 in.)
Crested Owl – L. cristata (15.0-16.9 in.)
Short-eared Owl – A. flammeus (13.4-16.5 in.)
Black-and-White Owl – S. nigrolineata (13.8-15.7 in.)
Long-eared Owl – A. otus (13.8-15.7 in.)
Barn Owl – T. alba (13.4-15.0 in.)
Mexican Wood Owl (Mottled Owl) – S. squamulata (C. virgata) (11.8-15.0 in.)
Striped Owl – A. clamator (11.8-15.0 in.)
Balsas Screech-Owl – M seductus (9.4-10.6 in.)
Pacific Screech-Owl – M. cooperi (9.1-10.2 in.)
Western Screech-Owl – M. kennicottii (8.3-9.4)
Burrowing Owl – A. cunicularia (7.5-9.8 in.)
Guatemalan Screech-Owl – M. guatemalae (7.9-9.1 in.)
Oaxaca Screech-Owl – M. lambi (7.9-8.7 in.)
Eastern Screech-Owl – M. asio (7.1-9.1 in.)
Unspotted Saw-whet Owl – A. ridgwayi (7.1-7.9 in.)
Northern Saw-whet Owl – A. acadicus (6.7-7.5 in.)
Ridgway’s (Ferruginous) Pygmy-Owl – G. brasilianum (6.7-7.5 in.)
Whiskered Screech-Owl – M. trichopsis (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.)
Cape Pygmy-Owl – G. hoskinsii (5.9-6.7 in.)
Mountain Pygmy-Owl – G. gnoma (5.9-6.7 in.)
Central American Pygmy-Owl – G. griseiceps (5.5-6.3 in.)
Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl – G. sanchezi (5.1-6.3 in.)
Colima Pygmy-Owl- G. palmarum (5.1-5.9 in.)
Elf Owl – M. whitneyi (4.7-5.5 in.)