• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is believe to have a very small range and is therefore highly susceptible to any future threats to its habitat. It is consequently classified as Near Threatened.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as locally rather abundant (Konig et al. 1999).

Trend justification
This species is suspected to lose 10.8-13.6% of suitable habitat within its distribution over three generations (21 years) based on a model of Amazonian deforestation (Soares-Filho et al. 2006, Bird et al. 2011). It is therefore suspected to decline by <25% over three generations.

Megascops marshalli is known from six localities from Pasco department, Peru, south to Cochabamba department, Bolivia (Herzog et al. 2009). It has a disjunct distribution with four subpopulations: from the Cordillera Yanachaga, Pasco (Weske and Terborgh 1981, Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990), south into north-central Junin, Peru; Cordillera Vilcabamba, north-west Cusco and adjacent Junin, Peru which includes the type locality and Campamento Segakiato, the source of a recent specimen; Madidi National Park, La Paz, Bolivia, from Inciensal Sauce west to just across the Peruvian border, Puno; and Cochabamba and immediately adjacent La Paz, encompassing the Cordillera Cocapata, the adjacent unnamed mountain range, and Serranía de Callejas (Herzog et al. 2009). The overall extent of occurrence is calculated as 12,700 km² (Herzog et al. 2009).

Its preferred habitat is pristine to at most slightly disturbed wet montane forest with high structural complexity, dense understory, and abundant epiphytes. It has been recorded at altitudes of 1,550–2,580 m, but locally its altitudinal range is 500 m (Herzog et al. 2009).

The north Cordillera Vilcabamba is the most intact area of montane habitat in Peru (J. Fjeldså verbally 2000), and this sub-population is considered secure. Cloud-forest in the Cordillera Yanachaga was largely undisturbed when the species was recorded, but threats are unquantified and require clarification.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Clarify extent of threat to cloud-forest in the Cordillera Yanachaga. Survey ridges in the Gran Pajonal area. Protect areas of suitable habitat and safeguard against future threats. Estimate population size (Herzog et al. 2009). Quantify deforestation rates within the species' range (Herzog et al. 2009).

Text account compilers
O'Brien, A., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A.

Contributors
Fjeldså, J.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cloud-forest Screech-owl Megascops marshalli. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cloud-forest-screech-owl-megascops-marshalli on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.