FLORIDA BARRED OWL 197 



The range as above outlined is for the entire species, which has, 

 however, been separated into three geographic races. The northern 

 barred owl (Strix varia varia) occupies all northern parts of the range 

 south to North Carolina, Arkansas, and central Texas; the Florida 

 barred owl (Strix varia alleni) is found in the south Atlantic and Gulf 

 Coast States north to central North Carolina, northern Alabama, 

 and Arkansas and west to eastern Texas; and the Texas barred owl 

 (Strix varia helveola) is confined to areas in south-central Texas. 



Casual records. — The species can be considered only as a casual in 

 Colorado although the single record for the State is based upon a pair 

 of birds breeding near Holyoke in March 1897, one of which, with two 

 somewhat incubated eggs,* was collected. A specimen was taken at 

 Bear Lodge, Wyo., in March 1905 and identified at the Biological 

 Survey. It has been reported from the Yellowstone and Musselshell 

 Rivers in Montana, but without definite details. Nevertheless, 

 according to Saunders (1921, p. 68), two have been taken in that 

 State for which full data are not available, while one was seen in 

 Gallatin County, on August 5, 1909. A specimen was collected at 

 Grand Forks, N. Dak., on November 10, 1921. Old records of the 

 occurrence of this bird in Norway and Sweden seem extremely 

 doubtful. 



Egg dates. — Southern New England: 63 records, March 13 to May 

 18; 32 records, April 2 to 21, indicating the height of the season. 



New Jersey: 41 records, February 28 to April 14; 21 records, March 

 17 to 29. 



Illinois and Iowa: 23 records, February 25 to April 30; 12 records, 

 March 6 to April 13. 



Florida: 22 records, January 11 to March 10; 11 records, January 

 28 to February 20. 



Texas: 22 records, February 17 to June 4; 11 records, February 27 

 to March 25. 



STRIX VARIA ALLENI Ridgway 



florida barred owl 



Plates 48, 49 



HABITS 



The barred owl of the South Atlantic and Gulf States, from the 

 Carolinas to eastern Texas, was characterized by Mr. Ridgway (1880a) 

 as "similar to typical nebulosa, but toes wholly destitute of feathers 

 or bristles, being perfectly bare to the extreme base; colors darker 

 than in nebulosa, with less ochraceous, the tail scarcely barred on the 

 basal half, and the bars on the breast much more distinct, as well as 

 narrower and more continuous." 



This southern race of the barred owl is more generally distributed 

 and much more abundant throughout its range than is the northern 



