Rufous is an ornithological term for reddish ... McGraw said a downfall of the snowy owl having that rusty coloration is that it may be more easily targeted by larger predators, and it may be ...

The eastern screech-owl has both a gray and a red morph. About a third of easterns end up with the rufous coloring. Look for heavy streaks below and darker bars on the back, small ear-like tufts ...

The rufous morph becomes more common in the Southeast ... welliae is the palest and most faintly marked. The western screech owl’s bill is blackish or dark gray at the base, but gray-plumaged ...