168 LAND BIRDS 



366. AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. — Asio 



ivilsonianus. 



Family : The Horned Owls and Hoot Owls. 



Length: 14.80. 



Adults : Conspicuous brown ear-tufts an inch or more in length ; face 

 tawny ; upper parts mottled tawny, black, and ashy ; wings and 

 tail barred ; under parts mottled buffy and white, the breast broadly 

 streaked, the sides and belly irregularly barred with brown ; flanks 

 tawny unspotted. 



Geographical Distribution : Temperate North America. 



California Breeding Piange : Suitable localities in the interior valleys. 



Breeding Season: In California, from February 15 to May 15. 



Nest: Occasionally an old magpie's nest; sometimes in hollow trees, 

 cavities in rocks, old crow's or hawk's nests. 

 3 to 6 ; white. Size 1.62 X 1.32. 



The American Long-eared Owl breeds in the interior 

 valleys and foot-hills, haunting the lower range of co- 

 niferous timber. Unlike the short-eared owl, it never 

 hunts in the daytime ; it is rarely found in the open, but 

 hides through the sunny hours in the shade of the thick 

 woods. 



It is not shy, and trusts to protective coloring rather 

 than to flight. When discovered, '^ it sits upright, draws 

 the feathers close to the body, and erects the ear-tufts, 

 resembling in appearance a piece of weather-beaten bark 

 more than a bird." In flight it is swift and noiseless, 

 and flits about on moonlight nights like a huge black 

 shadow. It has a habit of always flying to the same tree 

 to devour its food, of taking a nap afterw^ards, and on 

 awakening, of ejecting the undigested portions of food in 

 little wads, which may be found in heaps under the tree. 

 This is a curious performance ; the bird yawns once or 



