106 



Birds of Pennsylvania. 



P'amily BUBONIDiE. Horned Owls, Etc. 

 Genus ASIO. Brisson. 



366. Asio ■wilsonianus (Less.). 



American Ijoiiji-eared Owl. 



Dksuription. 



Ear-tufts long ami conspicuous ; eyes rather small ; wings long tarsi and toes 

 densely feathered ; upper parts mottled with brownish-black, fulvous, and asliy- 

 white, the former predominating • brcas pale-fulvovis, with longitudinal stripes of 

 brownish-black ; abdomen white • every feather with a wide longitudinal stripe, and 

 with transvei'se stripes of brownish-black ; legs and toes pale-fulvous, usually 

 unspotted, but frequently with irregular narrow transverse stripes of dark-l)rown; 

 eye nearly encircled with black ; other .eathers of the face ashy-white ; witli minute 

 lines of black ; ear-tufts brownish-lilack edged with fulvous and ashy-white ; quills 

 pale-fulvous at their bases, with irregular transverse bands of brow'n ; inferior 

 coverts of the wing pale-fulvous, frequently nearly white ; the larger widelj'' tipped 

 with black ; tail brown, with several irregular transverse bands of asliy-fulvous, 

 which are mottled, as on the (juills ; bill and claws dark ; irides yellow. 



Total length: Female, about 15 inches ; extent, about 38; wing, 11 to 11^ ; tail, 6 

 inches. Male, rather smaller. 



Hah. — Temperate North America. 



Owing to the fact that these birds oftentimes conceal themselves 

 during the daytime in cedar trees, the local appellation of " Cedar 

 Owl " has arisen. The Long-eared Owl is a resident and one of the 

 most abundant of all the Owl tribe in this State. While Owls usually 

 lead a solitary life or associate in pairs, we find the subject of this 

 sketch to be social and gregarious, associating commonly in parties of 

 from twelve to twenty-five individuals. During the winter months, if 

 not molested, they often take up a residence in the dark retreats fur- 

 nished by the numerous coniferous trees growing around the habita- 

 tions of man. In relation to a party of these owls Dr. William R. 

 Stavely, Lahaska, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, writes me as follows : 

 " For over twenty years I have had congregated in my lawn from 

 fifty to seventy-five Owls. They are peaceable and quiet, only on rare 

 occasions would you know one was about. On dull days and foggy 

 evenings they were flying about in all directions. Never in all that 



