372 



Trees, Stars, and Birds 



Finley 6* Boldman 



FIG. 228. Elf owl looking out of 

 his hole in a giant cactus. 



and three in front. Their 

 feathers are soft and downy, 

 and their flight is noiseless. 

 They feed largely on mice. 

 After digesting the meat, they 

 eject the bones and hair from 

 the mouth in a round pellet. 

 An examination of 200 pellets 

 ejected by barn owls showed 

 the remains of 225 meadow 

 mice, 179 house mice, and 20 

 rats. 



The screech owl. Screech 

 owls are found throughout 

 most of North America and 

 are more common than other kinds of owls. They may 

 be distinguished from other owls by their small size and 

 conspicuous tufts of feathers over the eyes. They are 

 less than 10 inches long. Their plumage is mottled, but 

 the colors differ with individual birds ; some are mainly 

 gray, others mainly reddish brown. One spring I saw 

 three half-grown screech owls, all of the same size, sit- 

 ting side by side on the limb of a tree. No doubt all 

 had come from the same nest, yet two were red and the 

 other one was gray. These color phases do not depend 

 on age, season, or sex. 



Screech owls nest in hollow trees along a city street 

 or in an old orchard, as well as in the woods. They 

 occupy these holes also for protection or to avoid being 

 molested during the day by jays and other birds that 

 make a great fuss over owls. The screech owls are much 



