OWLS 309 



common. For this reason the capture of one of these odd-visaged birds 

 is frequently the cause of much excitement over the supposed discovery 

 of an animal entirely new to science, and which, by the local press, is 

 generally considered half bird, half monkey! 



The only notes I have ever heard from the Barn Owl are a sudden 

 wild, startling scream, a high, rapidly repeated cr-r-ree, cr-r-ree, cr-r-ree, 

 and, in captive birds, a hissing sound; but Bendire mentions "a feeble, 

 querulous note like qudek-qudek, or dek-dek, sounding somewhat like 

 the call of the Night Hawk (Chordeiles virginianus) , frequently repeated, 

 only not so loud." 



"Of 29 stomachs examined, 1 contained poultry; 3, other birds; 

 17, mice; 17, other mammals; 4, insects; and 7 were empty" (Fisher). 



39. FAMILY STRIGID^. HORNED OWLS, HOOT OWLS, ETC. (Fig. 48.) 



Owls are found in all parts of the world. About two hundred and 

 fifty species are known, of which nineteen inhabit North America. 

 Many species respond readily to the influences of their environment 

 and hence appear in a number of racial or subspecific forms. Of the 

 Screech Owl, for example, there are nine North American races, and of 

 the Horned Owls, eight. With few exceptions, Owls are woodland birds, 

 but some species live in grassy marshes or dry plains, while others make 

 their home in towers, steeples, or outbuildings. Owls are nocturnal 

 birds of prey, and for this reason feed more largely on small mammals 

 most of which are nocturnal than do the diurnal birds of prey. They 

 are therefore of even greater value to the agriculturist than Hawks. 

 Their prey is captured with their talons, and, unless too large, is swal- 

 lowed entire. The bones and hair are afterward ejected at the mouth 

 in matted pellets. 



Owls' eyes are so fixed in their sockets that they can not look from 

 one point to another by simply "rolling" the eyeball, but are obliged 

 to turn their head. The weird, almost human, voices of Owls add not 

 a little to the superstitious fear with which they are frequently regarded. 

 The eggs of Owls are uniformly white, unmarked. The young are thickly 

 covered with white down. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



I. Wing over lO'OO. 



A. Belly without bars, striped longitudinally. 



a. Upperparts with cross-bars. 



a 1 . Toes feathered 368. BARRED OWL. 



a 2 . Toes nearly bare 368a. FLORIDA BARRED OWL. 



b. Upperparts striped longitudinally . . . 367. SHORT-EARED OWL. 



B. Belly with cross-bars. 



a. With conspicuous 'horns' or 'ears.' 



a 1 . Wing over 13'00 . . . 375. GREAT HORNED OWL and races. 

 a 2 . Wing under 13'00 366. LONG-EARED OWL. 



b. Without 'horns' or 'ears.' 



ft 1 . Plumage white, more or less barred with black 376. SNOWY OWL. 

 b 2 . Plumage fuscous, mottled and barred with whitish. 



370. GREAT GRAY OWL. 



