FAMILY ALUCONIDA 
BARN OWL 
365. Aluco pratincola. 18 in. 
Plumage very soft, finely barred and specked; gen- 
eral coloration gray, yellowish-brown and white. No 
ear tufts; eyes small and brown; face very long; legs 
very long. These peculiar owls aire abundant in the 
south, where they are commonly known as * Monkey- 
faced Owls,” because of their odd visage. They are 
very useful birds, and are usually recognized as such. 
Their food consists almost wholly of small squirrels, 
rodents, reptiles and insects. It does most of its hunt- 
ing just after dusk and early in the morning. Its flight 
is “rather slow and entirely noiseless, as 1s that of all 
the members of the family. 
Nest.—In hollow trees, under the roofs of barns or in 
caves; the four to six eggs are pure white. (1.70 x 1.30). 
Range.—United States, breeding north to New York, 
Ontario, and Washington. Winters in the southern half 
of the United States. 
