CALIFORNIA SPOTTED OWL 205 



plumage into the first winter plumage, which is apparently much like 

 that of the adult. 



Food. — Rats and mice of various species seem to be the favorite prey 

 of the spotted owl, wood rats (Neotoma), white-footed mice (Pero- 

 myscus), and the red tree-mouse (Phenacomys) , which forages in the 

 forest trees. It also, probably, eats some chipmunks and other small 

 squirrels, other small rodents, and a few birds. Mr. Dawson (1923) 

 says: "Curiously, however, two instances are on record where remains 

 of Pigmy Owls, Glaucidium gnoma, have been found in the stomachs 

 of recently killed Spotted Owls." 



Charles W. Michael (1933) found an interesting collection of pellets 

 under a perching tree, of which he says: "Here we got a big surprise, 

 for scattered through every pellet examined were a number of musk- 

 melon seeds. Other identified particles contained in the pellets were 

 egg shells, apparently hen's egg shells, hair from a ground squirrel, 

 small mammal bones, and other bones that looked like bits of bone 

 from a pork or mutton chop. As the owl flies, it is just about half a 

 mile to the bear feeding platforms where owls could get such things as 

 egg shells, melon seeds, and mutton chops." 



Behavior. — The spotted owl is a decidedly nocturnal species, seldom 

 moving about in the daytime unless disturbed. It spends the day 

 sleeping quietly in some shady retreat, and, if forced to move, it will 

 fly only a short distance to some other perch and promptly close its 

 eyes and go to sleep again. 



It is one of the tamest, or one of the stupidest, of the owls, as my 

 experience with the Arizona bird and the following quotations will 

 show. About its nest it is extremely gentle and shows only a mild in- 

 terest, even when there are young to be defended. Mr. Dickey (1914) 

 writes: "As we climbed to the young in the oak the old bird displayed 

 her first sign of vital interest, flying within touch of the intruding 

 heads and peering at us from close perches among the branches. But 

 her passes at us were not fearsome things. She never even snapped her 

 bill. Silently she swooped near, rather in an effort to see plainly, or 

 decoy, than to harm or frighten us." Again, while he was at the 

 nest, he says: 



As I hung there, studying at first hand the nest of the Spotted Owl, there 

 came a last evidence of the bird's mild stupidity. Suddenly the shadow of her 

 broad, silent wings fell across me, and I instinctively cringed. While I still clung 

 to the nesting ledge with' one hand, and to her protesting young with the other, 

 she swept in and alit within eighteen inches of my fingers. And yet, so little 

 of menace was in her eye and pose, that I calmly left my bare hand within striking 

 distance until we were ready to lower away. Surely the veriest dicky-bird of 

 them all, — * * * would do more to avenge the supposed rape of her off- 

 spring than did this taloned bird of prey, sitting idly by without apparently the 

 courage to protect its young by fight, or the common sense to protect itself by 

 flight. 



