178 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



by the cries of two red-shouldered hawks and, walking toward them, 

 flushed three or four short-eared owls. "One in particular mounted 

 to a great height, followed by the Hawks, and in the fierce attack 

 which followed it held its own bravely for some time till they finally 

 appeared tired of the fight and flew away." 



This owl sometimes attacks large birds, possibly only in a spirit 

 of mischief or play .and not with any intention of killing them. Thus 

 William Brewster (1925) reports one swooping at black ducks in a 

 pond, and another soaring in circles above a soaring great blue heron 

 and swooping at and striking it repeatedly on the back. For several 

 minutes this performance went on, the heron circling and "croaking 

 incessantly and, when struck by the Owl, squalling so lustily that it 

 might have been heard half a mile away. Quite evidently it was 

 badly frightened. The Owl, without doubt, was merely amusing 

 himself." 



Clarence S. Jung (1930) describes an aerial fight between a short- 

 eared owl and a marsh hawk. "The Owl pursued the Hawk, flying 

 above the retreating bird. Hovering some ten feet above the Hawk, 

 the Owl would suddenly swoop down in a fierce attack. In the same 

 instant the Hawk would half turn like a tumbler pigeon, in such a 

 manner so as to strike the Owl with its talons as that bird passed. 

 The dexterity and maneuver of the two birds was amazing. The 

 attack was repeated seven or eight times. It is to be supposed that 

 the Hawk disturbed the Owl's nest and was being driven away." 



Voice. — During migrations and winter the short-eared owl is one 

 of the most silent of birds, but on the breeding grounds especially 

 when the young are about it is far from silent. The courtship song, 

 both vocal and instrumental, has already been described above. 

 Charles A. Urner (1923) describes five distinct calls of the short-eared 

 owl. The first, high pitched and rasping, resembles the barking of a 

 small animal. It is usually uttered in triplets and might be written 

 wak, wak, wak or yak, yak, yak, but there may be eight or more rapid 

 repetitions. The second is uttered singly and is more prolonged, 

 w-a-a-a-k. The third, Mr. Urner writes as wa'u or even wow. The 

 fourth suggests sawing or filing, a rather long drawn rasping note, 

 while the fifth is a clear whistle-like squeal. Like most owls, young 

 and adults may snap their bills and hiss. Saunders (1913) states 

 that the voice of the female is "higher pitched, more squeaky and 

 less harsh than the male." The cries of the owls, especially when 

 their young are disturbed, have been likened to the "squealing of 

 young pigs" and to "the barking of a young puppy" (W. W. Worth- 

 ington, 1893). Lawrence (1892) says "this owl has a shrill barking 

 call like the 'Ki-yi' of a little dog." Mabel Densmore (1924) de- 

 scribes the notes of a pair of birds signaling to their nearly fully 

 grown young as "subdued noise, muffled and short, half sneeze, half 



