Screech Owl

A variety of owl (Megascops asio ) commonly found in the United States. The cry of the screech owl at midnight is said to portend evil. In Italy, the screech owl became the basis of the stories of a night demon, which further developed into the strega, the witch/vampire who under slightly different names appears in the folklore of various southern European countries.

screech owl • n. a small American owl (Otus asio, family Strigidae) with a screeching call and distinctive ear tufts.