Bird Study 105 



amused myself by walking around a captive screech owl, which would 

 follow me with its eyes by turning the head until it almost made the 

 circle, then the head would twist back with such lightning rapidity that I 

 could hardly detect the movement; it seemed almost as if the head was 

 on a pivot and could be moved around and around indefinitely. Al- 

 though the owl, like the cat, has eyes fitted for night hunting, it can also 

 see fairly well during the daytime. 



A beak with the upper mandible ending in a sharp hook signifies that 

 its owner lives upon other animals and needs to rend and tear flesh. 

 The owl's beak thus formed is somewhat buried in the feathers of the face, 

 which gives it a striking resemblance to a Roman nose. This, with the 

 great, staring, round eyes, bestows upon the owl an appearance of great 

 wisdom. But it is not the beak which the owl uses for a weapon of 

 attack; its strong feet and sharp, curved claws are its weapons for striking 

 the enemy and also for grappling with its prey. The outer toe can be 

 moved back at will, so that in grasping its prey or its perch, two toes may 

 be directed forward and two backward, thus giving a stronger hold. 



The ear is very different in form from the ear of other birds ; instead 

 of being a mere hole opening into the internal ear, it consists of a fold of 

 skin forming a channel which extends from above the eye around to the 

 side of the throat. (See The Bird, Beebe, p. 217). Thus equipped, 

 while hunting in the dark the owl is able to hear any least rustle of mouse 

 or bird and to know in which direction to descend upon it. There has 

 been no relation established between the ear tufts of the screech owl and 

 its ears, so far as I know, but the way the bird lifts the tufts when it is 

 alert, always suggests that this movement in some way opens up the ear 



In color there are two types among the screech owls, one reddish 

 brown, the other gray. The back is streaked with black, the breast is 

 marked with many shaft-lines of black. The whole effect of the owl's 

 plumage makes it resemble a branch of a tree or a part of the bark, and 

 thus it is protected from prying eyes, during the daytime when it is sleep- 

 ing. Its plumage is very fluffy and its wing feathers, instead of being 

 stiff to the very edge, have soft fringes which cushion the stroke upon the 

 air. The owl's flight is, therefore, absolutely noiseless and the bird is thus 

 able to swoop down upon its prey without giving warning of its approach. 



The screech owls are partial to old apple orchards for nesting sites. 

 They will often use an abandoned nest of a woodpecker; the eggs are 

 almost as round as marbles and as white as chalk, showing very clearly 

 that they are laid within a dark hole, otherwise their color would attract 

 the eyes of enemies. There are usually four eggs; the fubsy little owlets 

 climb out of their home cave by the end of May and are the funniest little 

 creatures imaginable. They make interesting but decidedly snappy pets; 

 they can be fed on insects and raw beef. It is most interesting to see one 

 wake up late in the afternoon after its daytime sleep. All day it has sat 

 motionless upon its perch with its toes completely covered with its fluffy 

 feather skirt. Suddenly its eyes open, the round pupils enlarging or con- 

 tracting with great rapidity as if adjusting themselves to the amount of 

 light. When the owl winks it is like a moon in eclipse, so large are the 

 eyes, and so entirely are they obscured by the lids which seem like circular 

 curtains. When it ya^ns, it^ wide bill absurdly resembles a human mouth, 

 and the yawn is very human in its expression. It then stretches its wings 

 and it is astonishing how long this wing can be extended below the feet. 



