Catkin Yew vs Choco Screech Owl

Amentotaxus argotaenia compared with Megascops centralis

Key Differences

• Catkin Yew is Near Threatened while Choco Screech Owl is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Catkin Yew	Choco Screech Owl
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Strigiformes (Owls)
Family	Taxaceae	Strigidae (True Owls)
Genus	Amentotaxus	Megascops
Species	Amentotaxus argotaenia	Megascops centralis

Conservation Status

Catkin Yew

NT — Near Threatened

Choco Screech Owl

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Catkin Yew	Choco Screech Owl
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Catkin Yew

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Choco Screech Owl

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Norway.

Catkin Yew

The Catkin Yew (Amentotaxus argotaenia) is a species in the genus Amentotaxus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Choco Screech Owl

The Choco Screech-Owl (Megascops centralis) is a small, cryptically patterned owl in the family Strigidae, found in the humid lowland and foothill forests of the Chocó region of northwestern Colombia and extending into adjacent areas of Central America. Screech-owls of the genus Megascops are characterised by their small to medium size, prominent ear tufts, complex camouflage plumage imitating tree bark, and vocalisations consisting of mellow trilling or whinnying calls quite different from the piercing screech suggested by their common name. The Choco Screech-Owl inhabits the forest interior and edge from sea level to around 1,500 metres elevation, where it hunts nocturnally for large insects, small lizards, frogs, and occasionally small birds. During the day it roosts upright against a tree trunk or in dense foliage, where its mottled grey, brown, and black plumage renders it nearly invisible. Nesting occurs in natural tree cavities. The IUCN classifies this species as Least Concern, with a sufficient range across the Colombian Chocó and Central America. However, the ongoing loss of lowland tropical forest in this region — one of the wettest on Earth — remains a background threat to this and the many other Chocó endemics that depend on intact forest.