screech owl

American  

Or screech-owl

noun

1. any of numerous small American owls of the genus Otus, having hornlike tufts of feathers, as O. asio, of eastern North America.

2. (not in technical use) any owl having a harsh cry, especially the barn owl.

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screech owl British  

noun

1. a small North American owl, Otus asio, having ear tufts and a reddish-brown or grey plumage

2. any owl that utters a screeching cry

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Etymology

Origin of screech owl

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

The day after high school graduation, Dolly boarded the first bus for Nashville, where record producers said she sounded like a screech owl and was too country to sing country music.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

This year, the Wildlife Center of Virginia posted on Facebook about an Eastern screech owl that flew into a glue trap.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2024

It won't take long to feel enamored of the newly adopted member of Carl Safina's family: a baby screech owl.

From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023

But Owl 17-1308 does, which is why Paula Goldberg brought the juvenile Eastern screech owl to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on Tuesday morning.

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2017

Dropping his voice to a whisper, he added, “You’re mighty tough. Most folks would be letting loose like a screech owl to see me in my costume. I’m real impressed, I am.”

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan