Screech owls are small, stocky North American owls—typically just 6 to 10 inches tall—known for their compact bodies, feather tufts that resemble ears, and camouflaged gray, red (rufous), or brown plumage that helps them blend into tree bark. Found in woodlands, parks, and suburban yards across the U.S. (divided mainly into Eastern and Western species), they nest in tree cavities like old woodpecker holes, hunt a varied diet of insects, small mammals, birds, and other small prey, and despite their name, don't actually screech—their signature call is a soft, descending whinny or an even-pitched trill.