176 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



Plammea. 



Yellow, grey and white Owls ; no ear tufts ; nocturnal, 

 partial to old buildings ; nest in buildings, hollow trees 

 or cliffs. 



Plammea alba alba (Scopoli). Barn Owl. Ft: Effraye ; 

 Gcr. Schleiereule ; Ital. Barbagianni ; Swcd. Tornuggla. 



$ 9 Above rufous yellow, vermiculated grey and spotted 

 with dark grey and white ; disc white, a chestnut spot in front 

 of eye, frill white or ochreous ; beneath white with or without a 

 few black spots and sometimes with rufous tinge on breast. 

 Bill ivory white. Tarsus covered with short feathers, toes with 

 bristles. Iris black. Wing 260-303. Tarsus 50-58. Bill 22-25. 



Residc7it, — W. Europe from British Isles through W. France 

 to Portugal and Spain ; Italy, Albania, to Cyprus and Meso- 

 potamia ; also N. Africa (jMorocco to Egypt) ; W. Canary 

 Islands. 



P. alba guttata (Brehm). Above, feathers dark grey almost 

 to base (therefore little rufous yellow shows), with small black 

 drop-like marks and white tips ; disc vinous to white, a black 

 spot in front of eye, ruff brownish rufous with black tips, sides 

 of head and neck and underparts rufous, last spotted throughout 

 with small black spots ; occasional birds are indistinguishable 

 from "alba." 



Resident. — S. Sweden, Denmark, Baltic Provinces, and C. 

 Europe south of Baltic to Alps, Austria, Hungary, and S.W. 

 Russia north to Tula Govt. Occurs in Rumania in winter ; 

 occasional in Britain. 



Birds from E. France are intermediate between "alba" and 

 " guttata." 



P. alba ernesti (Kleinschmidt). Above bright yellowish 

 rufous ; beneath satin white with a very few spots on abdomen. 

 Resident. — Sardinia and Corsica. 



P. alba schmitzi (Hartert). Grey above as in "guttata" but 

 paler and bases of feathers rufous ; beneath white tinged rufous 

 with larger spots ; a very distinct red brown spot in front of eye. 



Resident. — Madeira. 



