SUfi XT A 481 



SURNIA, Dumer., 1806; 



685. HAWK-OWL. 

 SURNIA ULULA. 



Surma ulula (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. 'p. 133 (1766) ; Sharpe, Cat, B. Br. 

 Mus. ii. p. 129; Newton, Ooth. Wolley. p. 167 ; Dresser, v. p. 301, 

 pi. 311; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 123; S. nisoria (Meyer), Ann. 

 Wetter. Gesellscli. i. p. 268 (1809) ; Naum. i. p. 427, Taf. 42. fig. 2 ; 

 S. funerca, Dumeril, Zool. Anal. p. 34 (1806 partim) ; Gould, B. 

 of E. i. pi. 45 ; (id.), B. of Gt. Brit. i. pi. xxvi ; Hewitson, i. 

 p. 65, pi. xviii. fig. 1. 



Sperliereule, German ; Hogeugle, Dan. ; Hogugle, Norw. ; 

 Hokuggla, Swed. ; Pigan, Girjelcdde, Lapp. ; Pissi-haukka. 

 Haukkapollo, Finn. ; Jaczebata-Sova, Pol. ; Jastrebinaia-Sova, 

 Russ. 



( ad. (Sweden). Head, nape, and upper back dull white and blackish 

 mottled ; rest of the upper parts dark brown, the lower back barred with 

 dull white ; wings brown, the quills spotted and some of the inner 

 secondaries banded with white, the wing-coverts also white spotted ; tail 

 pale brown barred with brownish white and tipped with white ; facial 

 disk dull white, on the sides bordered by a crescentic line of black ; throat 

 whitish mottled with brown, the upper breast almost white ; under parts 

 white, narrowly barred with dark brown ; legs and toes thickly feathered ; 

 beak light yellow; soles yellow; claws blackish brown; iris bright 

 yellow. Culmen 0'9, wing 8.8, tail 7'0, tarsus 1-0 inch. Sexes alike, but 

 the female is rather darker in colour and larger in size. 



Hob. Northern Europe and Asia, as far north as Northern 

 Lapland and Kamchatka ; wandering south in winter to North 

 Germany ; of very rare occurrence in Great Britain ; of accidental 

 occurrence in Western Alaska. 



Frequents open places in the woods and plains where trees 

 are scattered about, and in the mountains it is found up to the 

 birch region. It hunts by daylight as well as in the evening, 

 and bright sunshine does' not appear to incommode it. Its 

 flight is very Hawk-like and swift, and the bird is by no means 

 shy or even wary. Its food consists of lemmings, mice, &c., and 

 birds even as large as a Willow Grouse. It nests in a hollow 

 tree or in the boxes placed by the natives for the Ducks to lay 

 in, and in May deposits on the bare wood 6 to 8 or even 10 

 pure white roundish eggs closely resembling those of the Short- 

 eared Owl, but usually smaller, which' measure about T52 by 



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