Richardson's owl. 159 



RICHARDSON'S OWL. 



Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni. 



Richardson's Owl is a boreal species inhabiting North America from 

 the limit of trees south to the northern tier of States. It is merely a geo- 

 graphical race of Tengmalm's Owl, which inhabits the pine belt of the 

 northern portion of the Eastern Hemisphere. Although the latter bird 

 is said to breed in the Alps and Carpathians, it is accidental in the 

 British Isles and is a rare winter visitant to Holland, Germany, and 

 central Eussia. It is extremely doubtful whether the American bird 

 is ever other than a winter visitor within the limits of the United States. 

 One or two specimens have been taken in winter as far south as Con- 

 necticut and Ehode Island, and on the west coast it is very rare as far 

 south as Oregon. From this it will be seen that it differs materially 

 from the more arctic Snowy Owl, which occasionally extends south in 

 winter as far as the central United States. 



The food, according to the published accounts, which are mostly gen- 

 eral, consists of mice, insects, and small birds. In the vicinity of Fort 

 Simpson, Mr. Eoss stated that it produced sad havoc among the flocks 

 of linnets. Mr. H. W. Wheelwright in Scandinavia one night shot a 

 female in full chase of a lemming on a frozen lake. Undoubtedly, like 

 the other small Owls, it feeds largely on small rodents and insects, and 

 when these are scarce depends on small birds for sustenance. 



It is common throughout northern Alaska wherever trees or large 

 bushes occur to afford it shelter. It breeds in hollows of trees as well 

 as in the deserted nests of other birds. It is very partial to the old 

 holes of the pileated woodpecker (Ceophlceus), which seem to be just the 

 size and shape to suit its fancy. 



At the mouth of the Yukon, where there are no trees, Mr. E. W. 

 l^Telson says the eggs are deposited in old nests found in bushes. The 

 eggs, which are from three to five in number, are deposited from the first 

 of May to early in June, according to the latitude of the nesting ground. 



Eichardson's Owl is nocturnal in its habits, remaining quiet during the 

 day in the thick foliage of the trees or bushes. In fact, its vision is appa- 

 rently so affected by bright hght that many specimens have been cap- 

 tured alive by persons walking up and taking them in their hands. On 

 this account the Eskimo in Alaska have given it the name of ' blind one.' 



The song of this Owl, according to Dr. Merriam (Bull. Nuttall 

 Ornith. Club, vol. vii, 1882, p. 237), is a low, liquid note that resem- 

 bles the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a height. 



DESCRIPTION. 



No ear-tufts; wings 6.50 inches (165™'") or more; tail more than 4 

 inches (102"""); legs and feet usually buffy, more or less spotted with 

 brown; feathers covering under base of tail, striped with brown. 



Length: 9 to 12 inches (228 to 305™"'); wing 6.60 to 7.40 inches (167 

 to 187"'"'); tail 4.10 to 4.70 inches (103 to 119"""). 



