Undocumented

From Izzy Edwards

Red/Rufous morph of the Western Screech Owl

Like their close relative, the Eastern Screech-Owl, Western Screech-Owls display a range of color morphs that tend to vary by region.

Pale gray individuals are more common east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas, while darker brown morphs are typically found to the west of these mountain ranges.

Among these variations, the red morph is exceptionally rare and largely absent from standard field guides. One of the few documented sightings appears on the blog Sitkanature.org, which features a red morph individual observed in Sitka, Alaska.

Evidence suggests that this unusual coloration may occur in coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. However, due to its scarcity, the red morph is not well recognized among ornithologists, and very little information is available.