Western Screech-Owl in March
Where western screech-owls are in March, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
March in the Western Screech-Owl's year
March is a month of transition. Winter visitors begin drifting north, the first spring migrants appear in the South, and resident birds are in full song. Weather swings hard — a warm week can push migration early, and a late blizzard can catch migrants short of food.
For the Western Screech-Owl specifically, March is a spring month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 14 states and provinces where western screech-owls occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where western screech-owls are in March
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In March, western screech-owls are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in March
March is inside the Western Screech-Owl nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: tree cavity or nest box in wooded neighborhoods. Clutch 1–7 eggs, incubation 21–30 days, 1 per season.
In the South the season is already underway, while northern birds are still settling territories — a pair in Florida or Texas may be on eggs weeks before a pair in Minnesota or Ontario has even chosen a nest site. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in March
- Mice and roosting small birds
Roosts in cavities and nest boxes by day; a screech-owl box in a shady tree is often occupied.
Migration brings new faces to feeders. Keep seed fresh and watch for birds passing through that you won't see again until fall.
Full Western Screech-Owl diet guide → · Best feeder for western screech-owls →
Watching western screech-owls this month
In March, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
If you have a Western Screech-Owl box up, watch from a distance for comings and goings — steady traffic means an active nest — the box guide below has the exact hole size and mounting height this species needs.
Western Screech-Owl month by month
Western Screech-Owl by state
Frequently asked
Where are western screech-owls in March?
In March, western screech-owls are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do western screech-owls nest in March?
Yes — March falls inside the Western Screech-Owl nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do western screech-owls eat in March?
Mice and roosting small birds.
Sources
- Western Screech-Owl — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Western Screech-Owl life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Western Screech-Owl — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.