BIRDS OF YOSEMIIE NATIONAL PARK 



101 



with a rapid series — ichoot, whoot, 

 li'hoot, too-too-too-too-too-too, whoot, 

 whoot, etc. May be heard in the day- 

 time. Often nests in woodpecker holes. 

 Most active in early morninsr, late af- 

 ternoon, and at dusk. Smallest owl in 

 Yosemite. 



Frequents open coniferous and de- 

 ciduous woods chiefly in the Transition 

 and occasionally in the Canadian life- 

 zone in the mountains where it is a 

 permanent R. Common in the Yosemite 

 region. 



SPOTTED OWL (Strix occiden- 

 talis): 18-19 in. Upper parts rich 

 brown, spotted with white; eye discs 

 light brown, tinged with yellow, bor- 

 dered with dark brown; no "ear" tufts; 

 under parts yellow brown, heavily 

 barred and spotted with white; tail 

 barred and tipped with whitish; eyes 

 dark. Call resembles the barking of a 

 dog. 



R. in dense forests of the Transition 

 life-zone of the Sierra to about 7,000 

 feet. Has been observed in Yosemite 

 Valley. 



GREAT GRAY OWL (Strix nehu- 

 losa): 24-33 in. Larc^c, liffht i^ray facial 

 discs irark-'d faintly with dusky con- 

 centric rings: eyes yellow; no "ear'^ 

 tufts; above dark brown with light 

 gravish mottling; under parts light gray 

 streaked lengthwise with dark brown. 

 Voice a deep reverberating whoo given 

 at irregular in'^ervals. Yosemite nesting 

 records nea'" Glacier Point and at 

 Crane Flat. Largest owl in Yosemite 

 region. 



R. with some wandering in winter. 

 Chiefly in coniferous forests of the 

 Sierra Nevada from Madera County 

 northward. Probably permanent R. in 

 ^'osemite region where it has been ob- 

 served in fir and pine woods in the 

 Canadian zone. 



AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL 



(Asio wilsonianus): 13-16 in. Above 

 mottled dark brown, buffv. and grav; 

 below vellowish-brown and white with 



streaks and bars of dark brown; cat- 

 like face; brown patch on tawny lining 

 of wing near tip seen in flight; long 

 "ear" tufts immediately over eyes. Song 

 a low, pigeon-like whooo, given singly, 

 often with lengthy intervals. Cat-like 

 meowing notes may be heard if the 

 birds are disturbed at the nest. Often 

 uses abandoned crow or magpie nests 

 for nesting. 



Frequents thick foliage, particularly 

 willow thickets, groves of aspen or cot- 

 tonwoods, or dense stands of young 

 conifers. R. in the Yosemite region be- 

 low the Canadian life-zone. Observed 

 in Yosemite Valley and at Swamp 

 Lake. 



AM. LONG-EARED OWL 



13-16 



SHORT- EARED OWL 



13-17 





