SOME COMMON BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA 



371 



beneficial because they destroy mice, rabbits, and other ob- 

 noxious animals. 



The owls are the nocturnal birds of prey. They possess 

 large rounded heads, strong legs, feet armed with sharp claws, 

 strong hooked bills, large eyes directed forward and surrounded 

 by a radiating disk of feathers, and soft, fluffy plumage which 

 renders them noiseless during flight (Fig. 245). Owls feed upon 

 insects, mice, rats, and other small mammals, birds, and fish. 

 The indigestible parts 

 of the food are cast 

 out of the mouth in 

 the form of pellets. 

 Most species are bene- 

 ficial to man. 



The great horned owl 

 is one of the largest 

 North American spe- 

 cies. It nests in old 

 squirrels' and hawks' 

 nests, in hollow trees, 

 or in crevices in rocky 

 cliffs. Two or three 

 large white eggs are 

 laid (Fig. 246). Its food consists principally of birds and 

 mammals, especially rabbits, and its harmful and beneficial 

 qualities are about equal. 



Parrots. — Only one species of parrot, the Carolina paroquet, 

 occurs in the United States. Parrots and paroquets live in 

 forests and feed on fruits and seeds. They have shrill voices, 

 and can, with few exceptions, be taught to talk. The African 

 parrot learns to talk most readily. 



Cuckoos and Kingfishers. — The majority of cuckoos do 

 not build a nest, but lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. 

 This is not true, however, of the North American species. The 

 black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos of this country are long, 



Fig. 253. — Cliff swallows building their nests 

 underneath the eaves of a barn. (Photo, by 

 Hegner.) 



