

Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
BARE-SHANKED SCREECH-OWL – (Species Account Blog #98)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Strigiformes,
- FAMILY: Strigidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Megascops clarkii
The Bare-shanked Screech-Owl is found from Costa Rica to extreme northwest Colombia. Large for a screech-owl. Warm rufous-brown overall, brightest on face, which does not have a distinct black border like most other screech-owls. Coarsely marked on belly. Found in montane forests, where the best way to find it is by voice. (from Birds of the World)
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we heard and saw 2 Bare-shanked Screech-Owl @ Copey a Providencia, Copey, San José, CR.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.

RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
