318 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the Ja3 T -like cry that I hear every autumn at Lake Umbagog. I 

 suspect that by means of this call it finally attracted the attention of 

 one of its parents." 



Field marks. — The great horned owl is the largest of the common 

 resident owls of the United States, somewhat larger than the barred 

 owl, darker in color and brown rather than gray; some of the paler 

 races are quite light colored, but they are found in regions where the 

 barred owl does not occur; they are paler than the spotted owl but 

 considerably larger. In all the races the wings seem very long and 

 broad in flight, and the ear tufts are very prominent when the owl 

 is perched. At short range the white throat patch is conspicuous 

 and the large yellow eyes may be seen. In flight the ear tufts are 

 flattened and do not show, but the large head and short neck are 

 distinctive. 



Enemies. — Horned owls have plenty of enemies that cordially 

 hate them, but none of them are dangerous, except man and occasion- 

 ally one of their own species. Crows are their chief enemies, with blue 

 jays a close second and all other small birds following. I have often 

 been able to locate an owl by the clamor of a noisy and excited mob 

 of crows. If an owl is discovered by a crow, the alarm is immediately 

 given and all the crows within hearing respond to the call, gather 

 about the owl, flying around or perching in the tree as near to the 

 owl as they dare go, cawing loudly and making a great fuss. They 

 seldom are bold enough to strike the owl, though I have seen them 

 do so twice. The owl stands all this with dignified indifference, 

 until his patience is exhausted, when he flies away with a string of 

 crows trailing on behind; perhaps he has to move several times 

 before he shakes off his tormentors or finds a secluded hiding place, 

 where he can doze in peace. The owl seldom retaliates by striking 

 one of the black rascals; in fact, I doubt if he ever does. But he gets 

 even with them when they are in their roosts at night; I have heard 

 of several crow roosts that were broken up by a great horned owl 

 living in the vicinity ; and many an owl has eaten crow. 



Horned owls are sometimes attacked by the larger hawks in contests 

 over nests, but the owl usually wins. On a Louisiana highway that 

 had been open only a few weeks, William B. Ward (1934) found, on 

 a 10-mile stretch of road through a swamp, 17 large owls that had 

 evidently been killed by automobiles. 



Winter. — Horned owls are often said to be permanently resident 

 throughout their ranges, but this is true only in the more temperate 

 regions. When the snow is deep and game is scarce in Canada, we 

 may look for heavy flights of northern owls to more congenial winter 

 hunting grounds. Arthur W. Brockway (1918) reported a heavy 

 flight at Hadlyme, Conn., in November and December 1917; a game 

 keeper there trapped 91 great horned owls during the fall and winter. 



