HAWKS AND OWLS TV^ 



feathers. The eyes are yellow and there are no 

 ear tufts. They usually nest in hollow trees, a 

 deserted Woodpecker hole being a favorite 

 place. Their food consists of mice and other 

 rodents, insects of various kinds, and small birds. 



Barred Owl. A common resident in wooded 

 regions is the Barred, or Hoot Owl, a name 

 which arises from his cr}% w^hich comes at night 

 from his forest retreat. '' Whoo-zuhoo; whoo-whoo; 

 zuhoo-zuhoo-ah^ " he calls, often repeating the cry 

 at intervals through the night. In my boyhood 

 the belief was that the call of the Hoot Owl be- 

 tokened rain, but I am not at all sure that he is 

 a safe prognosticator of the weather. Many a 

 time in the darkest nights we heard this weird 

 interrogation from the dark woods on Sailor's 

 Island, and no doubt it was more distinctly 

 audible in the calm before a storm. 



This is a good-sized bird, twenty inches in 

 length. The upper parts are grayish brown. 

 The fine bars of black and dark brown which 

 are seen on the back, neck, rump, tail and 

 breast give him the name Barred Owl. The sides 

 and belly are broadly streaked with brown and 

 the legs and feet are feathered to the toes. 

 There are no ear tufts and the eyes are black, in 

 this particular differing from all other members 

 of the family. The large, hooked bill is ivory- 

 white. Their home is usually in a hollow tree, 

 or the abandoned nest of Hawk or Crow. They 

 feed upon poultry, game-birds, mice, frogs, 

 lizards, insects, etc. This Owl ranges over 

 eastern North America as far north as New- 

 foundland and is a permanent resident, except 

 in the extreme northern portion. 



