GREAT HORNED OWL 313 



same thing happened, the owl departing with a trap on the other leg. 

 It was later seen flying about with both traps. But, so handicapped, 

 it managed to live and hunt for several weeks, until one of the chains 

 caught in a fence and the bird was killed." 



Although, during the season when they have to supply an extra 

 amount of food for the young, these owls are forced to hunt some by 

 day, I believe that at other seasons they prefer to spend the day in 

 seclusion ; the thick tops of evergreen trees are favorite daytime roosts ; 

 here the owl sits, close to the trunk or among dense foliage, preferably 

 within its breeding territory, its eyes closed to narrow slits, its ears 

 erected, and its body plumage contracted to the tall, narrow, hiding 

 pose assumed by other owls; its colors and its shape make it quite 

 inconspicuous in such a situation. Dr. Errington (1932b) writes: 

 "The trees favored were those to which leaves clung during the winter, 

 those the tops of which were entangled with vines, those with broken, 

 hanging tops, or those otherwise promising sanctuary to owls not 

 desirous of spending the daylight hours in the entertainment of 

 crows." 



The behavior of great horned owls in the vicinity of their nests 

 varies greatly with different individuals, though it is generally hostile, 

 especially when there are young in the nest. One pair that I visited 

 twice, while they had young, never showed themselves at all. On 

 other occasions the owls have generally been much in evidence, and 

 more or less threatening in their behavior, flying about near the 

 intruder, alighting in nearby trees, snapping their bills, and hooting. 

 Once I was savagely attacked, while I was climbing to a nest in which 

 the eggs were hatching. I had hardly climbed ten feet on the big pine 

 tree, when the great brown bird glided past me and alighted in a pine 

 beyond. There she sat, glaring at me, swaying from side to side, her 

 wings partly spread, her plumage ruffled out, looking as big as a bushel 

 basket, her ears erect, and snapping her bill furiously, a perfect picture 

 of savage rage. As I continued upward her mate soon joined her, 

 and then followed such a demonstration of angry protest as I had 

 never seen; they flew from tree to tree, dashing past me repeatedly, 

 too near for comfort, snapping their bills, and hooting constantly in 

 deep, subdued tones, kr-r-r-ooo-ooo, krrooo-ooo. Only once did they 

 give their regular hooting call. 



Once, when I was not looking, I felt the swoop of powerful wings, 

 then a terrific blow on my shoulder, almost knocking me out of the 

 tree, and I could feel the sharp claws strike through my clothes. 

 Several times I had to dodge from the furious attacks. As I neared 

 the nest, I felt a stunning blow behind my ear, which nearly dazed me, 

 and off sailed my hat a hundred feet away ; her sharp talons had struck 

 into my scalp, making two ugly wounds, from which the blood flowed 



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