Western Screech Owl(Otus kennicottii) The Western Screech-Owl has only one color morph, gray, but individuals found along the northwest coast can be brownish. As with its eastern counterpart, the belly and breast of the western species are marked with blackish streaks and bars. males and females look alike. They are approximately eight inches tall, with yellow eyes. They have ear tufts, which are conspicuous when raised.Western Screech-Owls range all along the western coast of the continent from Canada south to the Baja peninsula and into Mexico, and they are found as far east as the western border of Texas. They usually live at lower elevations and prefer open oak and riparian woodlands and seasonally wet areas. They also inhabit streamside groves, deserts, suburban parks, and gardens.