LIST AND DESCRIPTION 93 



378. Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia hypogaea.) 



This little Owl is a common summer resident over the 

 State, but most abundant west of the Missouri River. Length 

 from nine to ten inches ; above dull grayish brown spotted with 

 white; white throat patch crossed by dusky band; belly light 

 but barred with brown ; legs much longer than with other South 

 Dakota Owls and feathered in front but bare behind. This bird 

 also differs from other Owls in its habits of nesting. Instead of 

 building in trees or on the ground, it appropriates the abandoned 

 hole of some burrowing animal. East of the Missouri River it 

 occupies the holes of skunks, badgers or foxes ; west of the river 

 it usually takes possession of deserted prairie dog holes. It does 

 not, however, live in common with prairie dogs and rattlesnakes, 

 as many suppose. In every prairie dog town there are many un- 

 occupied holes. These offer convenient nesting places for the 

 little Owls. The food of the Burrowing Owl consists mostly 

 of small rodents, grasshoppers and bettles. 



FAMILY CUCULID^. CUCKOOS 



The Cuckoos or "Rain Crows" are beautiful velvety olive 

 brown birds with rather short wings and long tails. They are 

 about the size of the Brown Thrasher and much the same in form. 

 Their "cow, cow" notes are heard oftener than the birds are 

 seen, as they love dense shade and keep well within the foliage 

 of trees and bushes. They devour vast numbers of hairy cater- 

 pillars, of which they are especially fond, a single stomach some- 

 times containing as many as 250. 



387. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus americanus.) 



The lower bill is more yellow than in the following species, 

 and the white patches on the tail feathers much larger. It pre- 

 fers nesting in trees rather than in bushes. A summer resident. 



388. Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus.) 



This species is more plentiful in the State than the pre- 

 ceding. It prefers nesting in bushes rather than in trees. There 

 are only slight traces of yellow at the base of the black bill, 

 and the tail lacks the strong contrasts of white and black. A 

 summer resident. 



