BIRDS OF NEW YORK 127 



and duck hunters are sometimes surprised by its descending upon their 

 decoys while they are concealed in their blinds. It is rarely numerous 

 enough in this State to do much damage, but destroys some grouse, rabbits 

 and pheasants, although field mice are its principal food while with us. 

 As a species it should be ranked as more injurious than the Barred owl, 

 but much less harmful than the Great horned owl. In its native haunts 

 its food consists principally of lemmings, mice, hares, ptarmigan, water- 

 fowl and fish. 



Surnia ulula caparoch (Miiller) 

 Hawk Owl 



Plate 55 



Strix caparoch Miiller. Natursyst. Suppl. 1776. 69 

 Surnia funerea DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 21, fig. ig 

 Surnia ulula caparoch. A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 177. No. 377a 

 surnia, Mod. Gr., aupviov, the European Tawny owl; iilula, Lat., a kind of owl, 

 from ululare, to howl; caparoch, name given by natives of Hudson bay to this bird, 

 applied by Brisson in 1760 



Description. No ear tufts; tail long and rounded, feet densely feathered, 

 size medium. Upper parts bistre brown, spotted with white; wings and tail 

 barred with white; under parts white, regularly and narrowly barred with 

 reddish brown; face white bordered with blackish; eyelids, loral bristles 

 and nuchal band blackish; eyes and bill yellow. 



Length 15-16; extent 32-34; wing 9; tail 7. 



Distribution, This bird, the Nearctic subspecies of S. ulula, breeds 

 from British Columbia, Montana and Ungava northward to the limit of trees, 

 and winters as far south as Nebraska, Indiana and Rhode Island. In New 

 York, especially in the northern counties, it is not rare as a winter visitant, 

 but not so common as the Snowy owl. Of 23 New York records before 

 me I is from Kings county (1863), i from Saratoga (1888), 3 from Onon- 

 daga, I from Oneida (1885), 2 from Monroe (1889), 2 from Orleans, i 

 from Ontario, i from Yates (1875), i from Niagara, 2 froni Cayuga, 4 

 from Lewis, and 4 from St Lawrence. These are nearly all reported as 

 " winter " or " November " specimens. Doctor Merriam records 2 defi- 

 nitely — Lowville, October 24, 1877, and November 16, 1877. Mr Ashbury 

 reports 2 males. Conquest, November 27, 1902. 



