AMERICAN HAWK OWL 381 



Mr. Dresser, who had ample opportunities of observing the Hawk Owl in New 

 Brunswick, where he found it by no means uncommon, describes it as a true day 

 Owl. It was often seen by him hawking after prey in the strongest sunshine, or 

 seated quietly blinking on the top of an old blasted tree, apparently undisturbed 

 by the glare of the sun. In its general appearance and particularly in its flight, it 

 appeared to him to have considerable affinity to the Sparrow Hawk. In New 

 Brunswick it affected the open plains or so called blue berry barrens, where the 

 open country is covered with low bushes and an occasional scathed tree. It 

 would sit on one of these trees for hours in an upright hawk-like position, occa- 

 sionally hunting over the ground, like the Kestrel of Europe, in search of small 

 field-mice. It showed but little fear, and could easily be approached within 

 gun-shot. When shot at and missed, it would take a short flight and return to 

 its former perch. On one occasion, Mr. Dresser, firing at one with a rifle, cut the 

 branch close under the bird, which returned almost immediately to another 

 branch, was a second time missed, and finally fell under a third shot. 



The experience of Dr. Dall and Dr. Grinnell, related above, and the 

 following account by Mr. Henderson (1919) all show that the hawk 

 owl can put up a vigorous fight in defense of its nest: "As I climbed 

 the stub she charged and knocked my heavy Stetson hat off and 

 struck me several times on top the head and quite hard. Once she 

 put her claws through my shirt and scratched the skin. I had to 

 watch her continually and wave her off when she charged, always 

 straight at my head, as I was cutting out the side of the stub to get a 

 picture of the nest and eggs. The mate appeared on the scene soon 

 after I commenced work, but did not attack like the other." 



Voice. — Mr. Henderson (1925) says: "The calls of this Owl are a 

 trilling whistle, mita-wita-ivita, etc., which is the love call of the male. 

 I have never heard it uttered by the female. It is one of the signs of 

 early spring, being first heard in February and through March and 

 April. Other calls are squee-rick or quee-ick, wike or rike, and wherr-u." 



Lee Raymond Dice (1920) writes: "Notes and calls are numerous 

 and quite varied, but all seem quite musical. Kr-r-r-r-e-e-eep, a low 

 rapid rattle rising to a cry is often heard. Wur-a-wur-a (rapid) and 

 kuk-a-wuk (very low) were given by a male on March 25 while he 

 was seated in a dead spruce." 



C. B. Horsbrugh (1915) says: "My specimen gives voice to a 

 melodious whewp, oop, oop, oop, oop, oop, generally at dusk." And 

 Mr. Seton (1890) says that "it sometimes utters a rolling whill-ill- 

 ill-ill-loo, somewhat like the cries of the Long-eared Owl." It seems 

 to be a versatile vocalist. 



Field marks. — The hawk owl is a medium-sized owl, with a rounded 

 head, without ear tufts, and with a long, graduated tail, which it 

 often jerks up and down while perched and sometimes holds it up at 

 an angle. It is very dark above and transversely barred across the 

 breast and abdomen. In flight it resembles the falcons, and shows 

 rather short, pointed wings. It often sits with its body inclined 

 forward, or sits upright like other owls. 



