xxxni 



LONG-EAKED OWL 

 366. Asio wilsonianus 



This Owl is easily identified by its long ear tufts as 

 compared to the ground-roosting, Short-eared Owl, and 

 by its smaller size as compared to the Great Horned and 

 Barred Owls. It is very shy and loves to seek seclusion 

 and safety in the deep, dark woods. 



It is rarely seen unless one actually frightens it from 

 its hiding place. When on the alert, as you approach, 

 it contracts its feathers snugly about its body and re- 

 mains so erect and quiet that its dark gray feathers blend 

 with the surroundings and make it hard to discover. 



On dark and cloudy days it may leave its retreat 

 for a short period. Its usual hunting time is in the 

 night. When on its noiseless flight, the small night-prowl- 

 ing mammals may well be on the lookout lest they are 

 picked up by this bird, as its dietetic list is made up 

 principally of small rodents. 



Long-eared Owls hoot during the breeding season 

 only, the call being more like that of the Screech Owl 

 than the hoot of the Barred or Great Horned Owls. The 

 species should be legally protected, for it is one of the 

 best friends of the farmer. 



These Owls rarely nest in holes, preferring last 

 year's Crows' nests and other abandoned nests. (Fig. 48.) 



On April 22, 1922, while exploring some timbered 

 tracts, forty miles west of Kansas City, I discovered 

 what proved to be a Crow's nest fifteen feet from the 

 ground in a red-haw tree. It was in a good state of pres- 

 ervation and showed recent repair work near its rim. 

 As I neared the nest I discovered that it was occupied 

 by an Owl. The bird contracted her feathers until she 

 disappeared below the top of the nest, all save the ear 

 tufts. I could see her big yellow eyes, as she peered from 

 between the coarse sticks that capped the rim. 



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