Eastern screech-owls are rarely active before dusk. In New York and New England, egg dates ranged from April 12 to May 18. The eyes are usually open by the 20th day. Flight feathers begin coming in around the 25th day.
Fledglings stay on branches near the nest until full flight is achieved.
Even after leaving the nest tree, fledglings continue to be fed by the parents for up to 5 weeks after fledging. By the ninth week, fledglings usually begin molting to the first-winter plumage. In Connecticut, red maple woodlands, upland woodland, evergreen hedgerows, and edge habitats were used by eastern screech-owl more often than expected if habitat choice were random. Lawns, mixed woods, and evergreen woods were used less often than would be expected if habitat choice were random. There was also a positive relationship among eastern screech-owl abundance, total habitat diversity, and the amount of linear edge.