BIRDS OF PREY 169 
twice, and then shakes its head violently sidewise till the 
pellet is dislodged from its throat. 
During the nesting season the male bird is exceedingly 
devoted to his mate, frequently occupying the nest with 
her or sitting on a branch of the same tree in close prox- 
imity. The incubation requires three weeks ; the young 
stay in the nest about five weeks and afterwards hide in 
the trees, not catching their own food until eight or nine 
weeks old. 
Major Bendire describes the nest of a pair of these 
owls less than two feet above an excavation occupied by 
a family of flickers. The owls were late in nesting, it 
being a second or third brood, and the families were 
reared at the same time, neither apparently paying any 
attention to the other. As the young of these owls keep 
up a constant calling for food all night long, this brood 
doubtless disturbed the slumbers of the young flickers. 
Their note is a low, not unmusical, whistling call, but 
during the breeding season they hoot like screech owls. 
367. SHORT-EARED OWL. — Asio accipitrinus. 
Famity : The Horned Owls and Hoot Owls. 
Length: 15.50. 
Adults: Ear-tufts conspicuous ; a blackening around the eye, and con- 
spicuous white eyebrow ; plumage tawny to buff, heavily streaked 
with dark brown ; wings and tail broadly and irregularly barred with 
dark brown and tawny. 
Young: Above dark brown ; under parts grayish buffy ; face brownish 
black. 
Geographical Distribution : Western hemisphere ; common winter visit- 
ant in California, some remaining through the summer. 
Breeding Range: In California, breeds sparingly on certain coast 
marshes. 
