196 Birds of Colorado 



Genus ALU CO. 



Bill lengthened, rather compressed ; facial disk well developed and 

 rather triangular in shape ; no ear-tufts or plumicorns ; wings long 

 and pointed, reaching beyond the tail when folded ; tail short and 

 nearly even ; tarsus long, about twice the middle toe without claw, 

 closely feathered above, but becoming rather bristly below. 



A cosmopohtan genus with one North American species, closely 

 related to the European stock form. 



American Bam-Owl. Alucopratincola. 



A.O.U. Checkhst no 365— Colorado Records— H. G. Smith 96, p. 76 ; 

 08, p. 185 ; Cooke 97, pp. 77, 160, 205 ; Henderson 03, p. 235 ; 09, 

 p. 230 ; Gibnan 07, p. 154 ; Betts 10, p. 218 ; Bergtold 10, p. 207. 



Description. — Female — Above tawny-yellow, very finely mottled 

 and marbled with ashy and white, with traces of dark bars on the tail ; 

 facial rufl whitish, stained with claret-brown, bordered with rusty- 

 brown, especially in front of the eye ; below white to tawny-white, 

 dotted with brown spots ; plumage very variable ; iris brown, bill 

 pearly-white, feet dirty yellow. Length 17 ; wing 13-5 ; tail 5-5 ; 

 culmen I-l ; tarsus 3-4. 



The male is smaller — wing 12-75. Young birds after losing their 

 nestUng-down are like the adults. 



Distribution. — The middle and southern United States, from about 

 New England, Colorado and Oregon south to Mexico. Very closely 

 allied species or geographical races are found throughout the rest of 

 America and all over the Old World. 



In Colorado the Barn -Owl is a rare bird. It has chiefly been met with 

 in the south of the State, and is probably a resident, though not known 

 to breed. It was first recorded by H. G. Smith from an example 

 taken in the Town Hall of South Denver. Subsequent notices are : 

 Denver, a second time (H. G. Smith), Boulder co. (Betts), Kit Carson co. 

 (Bergtold), Pueblo, three occasions. Wet Mountain Valley and Rocky 

 Ford (Cooke), Holly (H. G. Smith), Fort Lewis and Mancos (Oilman). 



Habits. — ^The Barn-Owl is one of the most beneficial 

 of the rapacious birds ; it feeds ahnost entirely on the 

 smaller rodents, such as field-mice and gophers, which 

 from their great numbers and destructive habits are 

 a curse to the agriculturist. Like other Owls, this 

 species swallows its prey whole, and afterwards rejects 

 the skin and bones and indigestible parts in the form 

 of pellets. An examination of these reveals its utility. 



