196 Birds of Colorado 
Genus ALUCO. 
Bill lengthened, rather compressed ; facial disk well developed and 
rather triangular in shape; no ear-tufts or plumicorns; wings long 
and pointed, reaching beyond the tail when folded; tail short and 
nearly even; tarsus long, about twice the middle toe without claw, 
closely feathered above, but becoming rather bristly below. 
A cosmopolitan genus with one North American species, closely 
related to the European stock form. 
American Bam-Owl. Aluco pratincola. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 365—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 76; 
08, p. 185; Cooke 97, pp. 77, 160, 205; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, 
p. 230; Gilman 07, p. 154; Betts 10, p. 218; Bergtold 10, p. 207. 
Description.—Female—Above tawny-yellow, very finely mottled 
and marbled with ashy and white, with traces of dark bars on the tail ; 
facial ruff whitish, stained with claret-brown, bordered with rusty- 
brown, especially in front of the eye; below white to tawny-white, 
dotted with brown spots; plumage very variable; iris brown, bill 
pearly-white, feet dirty yellow. Length 17; wing 13-5; tail 5-5; 
culmen 1-1; tarsus 3-4. 
The male is smaller—wing 12-75. Young birds after losing their 
nestling-down are like the adults. 
Distribution.—The middle and southern United States, from about 
New England, Colorado and Oregon south to Mexico. Very closely 
allied species or geographical races are found throughout the rest of 
America and all over the Old World. 
In Colorado the Barn-Owl is arare bird. It has chiefly been met with 
in the south of the State, and is probably a resident, though not known 
to breed. It was first recorded by H. G. Smith from an example 
taken in the Town Hall of South Denver. Subsequent notices are: 
Denver, a second time (H. G. Smith), Boulder co. (Betts), Kit Carson co. 
(Bergtold), Pueblo, three occasions, Wet Mountain Valley and Rocky 
Ford (Cooke), Holly (H. G. Smith), Fort Lewis and Mancos (Gilman), 
Habits.—The Barn-Owl is one of the most beneficial 
of the rapacious birds; it feeds almost entirely on the 
smaller rodents, such as field-mice and gophers, which 
from their great numbers and destructive habits are 
a curse to the agriculturist. Like other Owls, this 
species swallows its prey whole, and afterwards rejects 
the skin and bones and indigestible parts in the form 
of pellets. An examination of these reveals its utility. 
