170 LAND BIRDS 



Breeding Season: March 15 to May 15. 



Nest : A few sticks ; lined with grasses and feathers ; placed on the 



ground in the long grass of the meadow, or at the foot of a bush, or 



beside a log, or in a i-abbit burrow. 

 Eggs: 4 to 6 ; white. Size 1.56 X 1.19. 



The liabits of tlie Short-eared Owl differ so greatly 

 from those of the rest of its family that it is sometimes 

 called the Marsh Owl. It is rarely seen in a tree, and 

 never in the dense woods. On bright days it sits con- 

 cealed in tlie long grass of a marsh ; bnt at dnsk or in 

 clondy weather it can be found hunting its food over the 

 low, w^et meadows. In California it breeds on the coast 

 marshes and islands, making its nest on the ground and 

 lining it with feathers from its own body. Incubation 

 lasts nearly four weeks. 



The young are more fully feathered when hatched than 

 most young owls. They soon flutter about in the grass 

 with their parents, sitting patiently beside a marsh rat's 

 run, or chasing grasshoppers with awkward fluttering 

 hops. The adult, although it usually flies low over the 

 marshes, may be seen during the breeding season flying 

 quite high in the air and uttering a shrill, high, yelp- 

 ing call. 



The food of these owls consists mostly of mice and 

 quadrupeds, but they are very fond of terns, which they 

 pursue through the open, and which, being the better 

 fliers, usually make good their escape. They are emi- 

 nently gregaiious, remaining in flocks and colonies of 

 several hundred. 



