SHORT-EARED OWL 233 



hiding in a thick evergreen, or in some hollow tree, the 

 centre, perhaps, of a little mob of angry birds. It may be 

 then recognized by its large size, absence of ear-tufts, and 

 the brown barring across the breast. 



Short-eared Owl. Asio accijnty^iniLS 



15.50 



Ad. — Upper parts yellowish-brown, streaked with black; uuder 

 parts buffy, streaked with dark brown, particularly on the 

 breast; wings and tail, when spread, spotted and barred with 

 white; disk blackish around the eyes; ear-tufts very short. Im. — 

 Upper parts darker; under parts dull buffy, unstreaked ; disk 

 brownish-black. 



Nest, on ground. Eggs, white. 



The Short-eared Owl is a rare and local permanent resi- 

 dent of New York and New England, but is chiefly met 

 with as a migrant, especially along ocean beaches and in 

 extensive marshes. It is occasionally as diurnal as the 

 Snowy Owl, and may be seen beating over the marshes or 

 sand dunes. When startled it sometimes flies to a post or 

 knoll in the marsh or on the beach, and lights there. Dusk, 

 however, is its favorite hunting-time, and it generally spends 

 the day on the ground in thick grass. Its ear-tufts are 

 not at all prominent, even in the live bird, but it may be 

 known from the forest-haunting Barred Owl by the nature 

 of the country in which it is generally found, by its smaller 

 size, the lighter tone of its upper parts, and by the absence 

 of barring on the breast. 



American Loxg-eared Owl. Asio tvilsonianus 



14.80 



Ad. — Prevailing color of the upper parts dark brown, 

 speckled with whitish and yellowish-brown; lower parts whitish, 

 streaked and barred with dusky; ear-tufts conspicuous, over an 

 inch long, blackish, rising from the middle of the head ; disk about 

 eyes rich reddish-brown. 



