The Screech Owl 49 



gives the alarm and all the other birds of the neighborhood 

 congregate at once and make a common attack upon it. This 

 is especially true of the blue jays and robins. In the second 

 place, it is a wise provision of nature that for all times there 

 should be birds of some kind on guard to keep in abeyance "its 

 destructive forces and so we have the owls, who, with the 

 special sight that is given them, can be on guard at night to 

 destroy the injurious rodents, insects and moths that are out 

 at that time and ready to do mischief." 



Scientific investigations which have been made show that 

 these owls are of great value to the farmer and orchardist. 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher, in his report upon the Hawks and Owls 

 from the Standpoint of the Farmer, says : "Of twenty-five 

 stomachs examined of the screech owl, birds were found in 

 about 15 per cent. Fully one-third of these consisted of Eng- 

 lish sparrows, and a large proportion of the rest were ground- 

 dwelling sparrows, which feed largely on seeds and are of lit- 

 tle economic importance. Among insects, grasshoppers, 

 crickets, beetles and cutworms are most often eaten. As 

 many as fifty grasshoppers have been found in one stomach, 

 eighteen May beetles in another, and thirteen cutworms in a 

 third. During the warmer parts of the year it is exceptional 

 to find a stomach not well filled with insect remains. Meadow 

 mice, white-footed mice and house mice are the mammals 

 most often taken, while chipmunks, wood rats, flying squirrels 

 and moles are less frequently found. The screech owl is fond 

 of fish and it apparently catches many, especially in winter. 

 At this time it watches near the breathing holes in the ice, and 

 seizes the luckless fish which comes to the surface.* * * 

 As nearly three-fourths of the owl's food consists of injurious 

 mammals and insects, and only about one-seventh of birds (a 

 large proportion of which are destructive English sparrows), 

 there is no question that this little owl should be carefully 

 protected." 



