126 The Birds of Albany County 



Family Strigidae 



American Barn Owl. — Strix pratincola. 18.00 



Extremely Rare Permanent Resident 



Field marks. — White face, surrounded by a heart-shaped, 

 brown line, formed by feathers, which stand out something 

 like an Elizabethan ruff; eyes black; upper part bright 

 tawny, overcast by gray flecked with black and white 

 polka-dots; upper parts of wings and tail faintly barred 

 with blackish; under parts of wings marked with broken 

 bars of black; breast and belly white, flecked with fine 

 black dots; flanks washed with tawny; tarsi very long. 



The above description is from a finely mounted specimen 

 taken here in October, 1907. I have never seen the living 

 bird. All writers seem to approach the subject of this Owl 

 very gingerly, as though they were hardly sure of their ground, 

 and I confess to the same feeling. It is so uncommon and has 

 such retiring habits that one might live several lifetimes and 

 not encounter it. It is said to frequent the dark corners of 

 old buildings or deep woods, occasionally uttering a series of 

 weird, screaming notes. Its quaint face has given it the name 

 of Monkey-faced Owl. 



It is said to make its nest in a tower or steeple, or 

 occasionally in a hollow tree. 



