484 THE AMERICAN HAWK OWL. 



No. 196. 



AMERICAN HAWK OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 377a. Surnia uliila caparoch (AIull.). 



Synonym. — Day Ovvi.. 



Description. — Adult: Without ear-tufts; above dark grayish brown or fus- 

 cous, finely anil heavily spotted with white on head and upper back; with larger 

 quadrate spots or bars of the same on middle back and wings ; upper tail-coverts 

 distinctly, and tail indistinctly or brokenly, barred with white ; tail rounded, the 

 outer pair of feathers about an inch shorter than the central pair; a crescentic 

 patch behind the ear-coverts, another on the side of the neck behind, and one on 

 the upper throat, pure dark brown ; facial disk — so far as indicated — and chest, 

 white; breast irregularly barred or streaked with fuscous on wdiite ground, some- 

 times almost solid fuscous; remaining underparts closely and evenly barred with 

 reddish brown and white in about equal ]3ro])ortions ; legs, fully feathered to the 

 claws, tawny, spotted, or lightly barred with light reddish brown ; bill yellow. 

 Length 14.50-17. qo ( ^68. V444-3 • : wing 9.00 (228.6); tail 7.00 (177.8); bill 

 .85 (21.6).^ 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; small head, slender build; stricth' diurnal 

 habits ; general hawk-like appearance. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in \\'ashington. Xcst: of sticks, mosses, and 

 feathers, in coniferous trees, or in holes of decayed trees, or even on a rock or 

 stump. Eg</s: 3-7, white. Av. size, 1.53x1.24 ('38.9 x 31.5 ). Season: April; 

 one brood. 



General Range. — Arctic America, breeding from Newfoundland northward, 

 and migrating in winter to the northern borders of the United States. Occasional 

 in England. May jxissilih- breed in certain northern states. 



Range in Washington. — \'ery rare or casual in winter. Probably also resi- 

 dent in summer ( Edson, Johnson). 



Authorities. — Johnson, Condor, \ ol. \"ni, Jan. igoO, p. 26. E. 



Specimens. — {V. of W.) Prov. P.. BN. 



THIS rare and singular winter xisitur lonks and acts like a hawk, 

 and it is strictly diurnal in its habits; Init it has, lieside the facial disk, the 

 noiseless plumage which marks the Owds. When seen southerly it is iiiost 

 frequently at look-out upon the top of a stub, but Mr. Bowles says of a pair 

 ^one of which he secured), near Martin in tlie Cascade Range: "On the 

 wing they might easily lie taken for one of the Bnteos, as the flight consists 

 of a series of slow wing-beats and a vast deal of circling on motionless wings." 



Its proper home is north, alt ho there is just a suspicion that it may be 

 found breeding in mu- own mountains. Mr. L. M. Turner says of it^ : "The 

 American Hawk Owl is a very common resident thruout tlie Yukon district. 

 Along the Coast it is quite abundant. They usually seclude themselves in 



a. Contributions to tlie Natural History of .Alaska, p. 165. 



