This is thought to reflect the different habitats of the birds. Females spend most of the day in the burrow while the male is often out in direct sunlight, thus the males color is often lighter than the females. When disturbed in its nest it gives an alarm sound that sounds like a rattle snake. By Jim Moses Eastern Screech Owl Otus asio The red phase of this raptor is most often seen in the south while the gray phase is found in the north and in south Texas. They are generally found in woodlands, farm groves and shade trees.
Screech owls feed mainly on insects, mice and other small rodents.