Megascops asio – Eastern Screech Owl
This is our smallest full-time resident owl species in Georgia. Screech Owls only stand about 4 to 6 inches tall as adults. They come in two color morphs: gray and red or rufous. Goliath is a gray morph. The color is not an indicator of sex. They are not different species. The gray or red coloration is great camouflage. Red morphs blend perfectly into evergreen bark and gray morphs blend into hardwood tree bark. Like most other raptor species, it’s hard to tell males from females by looks alone. Size can give you a clue. Females are up to 30% bigger than the males. “Golly” gave us a clear indication a few years ago by laying an egg!