230 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



owl have been found in numbers in the 

 kitchen middens, or refuse heaps, near the 

 caverns and grottoes inhabited by the 

 strange, primitive men of the hunting tribes 

 of Pleistocene times in France. 



The snowy owl nests in the barren 

 grounds from northern Russia to Green- 

 land and Alaska, and in its southern flights 

 spreads south to Japan, Turkistan, and even 

 into northern India. It regularly occurs in 

 the north of Europe and comes casually far- 

 ther south. In the United States it is com- 

 mon, during its irregular occurrences, in the 

 Northeast, particularly on the seaboard, and 

 less abundant westward. 



Barred Owl 



(Strix varia) 



In the eastern half of our country the 

 barred owl is one of the best known of its 

 family, its loud calls being familiar to all 

 who are abroad at night in regions of low- 

 land woods. The bird is large, appearing 

 equal to the great horn, though, as in the 

 case of the great gray owl, a good part of 

 its bulk is due to its long feathers, its body 

 being small and relatively slender. The 

 head is round, without vestige of ear tufts, 

 and the bird, unlike most of our other owls, 

 has dark-colored eyes (see page 232). It 

 is solitary except during the nesting season, 

 and then is encountered only in pairs. 



In the South barred owls are partial to 

 wooded swamps, and everywhere they are 

 found in the open mainly during their 

 nightly hunt for food. They are loudly 

 vociferous in their calls, these being heard 

 to some extent throughout the year. In 

 spring the variety of their notes is surpris- 

 ing, and on many occasions when sleeping 

 outdoors I have been awakened by their 

 noisy cries. 



This owl is frequently mobbed by the 

 Small birds of the forest when discovered by 

 day, and at such times it is much disturbed 

 by scolding groups of jays, cardinals, titmice, 

 sparrows, and other species that gather to 

 peep and peer and protest its presence. 

 Crows speedily put a barred owl to flight 

 to more secluded quarters. 



The barred owl nests in hollows in trees, 

 or in old hawk or crow nests, laying from 

 two to four eggs. In Florida it nests as 

 early as December and January, while in 

 the North the date is later, usually March 

 and April. Eggs have been found in Con- 

 necticut, however, in February, when the 



ground was covered with snow and the eggs 

 themselves lay on ice frozen in the nesting 

 cavity. One brood is reared each season. 

 These birds are migratory to some extent, 

 and in fall sometimes are lost in unusual 

 situations, so that at times they are found 

 about tall buildings in cities. 



The food of this owl is composed mainly 

 of mice and other small mammals, and it 

 takes comparatively few birds. Curiously 

 enough, remains of smaller owls have been 

 found occasionally in stomachs of this 

 species. It also eats frogs, fish, crayfish, 

 and large insects. 



The northern barred owl (Strix varia 

 varia) is found from Saskatchewan and 

 Newfoundland to eastern Wyoming, Arkan- 

 sas, and the mountains of North Carolina. 

 The Florida barred owl (Strix varia alleni) , 

 which is slightly smaller and has toes nearly 

 bare of feathers, ranges in the South At- 

 lantic and Gulf States from the coast of 

 North Carolina to eastern Texas. The 

 Texas barred owl (Strix varia helveola), 

 which is paler in color, occurs in south-cen- 

 tral Texas. Another form ranges in the 

 highlands of Mexico. 



Spotted Owl 



(Strix occidentalis) 



A western cousin of the barred owl, the 

 spotted owl is rightly considered one of 

 our rare and unusual birds. In the North- 

 west it is found in heavy forests, and in the 

 mountains hides in dense growths of quak- 

 ing aspens, or in deep, dark canyons. In 

 fall and winter the birds wander from their 

 secluded haunts to some extent and come 

 into other situations. Even so, they are sel- 

 dom seen, and until recently have been 

 known to few, even among naturalists. 



Resembling the barred owl in smooth, 

 round head and dark eyes, this species like- 

 wise is chiefly nocturnal, being active in 

 daylight hours principally when it has 

 growing young in its nest. By preference 

 it is abroad at night, coming out by day 

 mainly when driven by necessity to search 

 for food. The mottled colors of the plum- 

 age of this owl harmonize completely with 

 sunlight coming through leaves; so that, 

 whether resting motionless on the face of a 

 cliff or against the trunk of a tree, the bird 

 blends with its surroundings and so escapes 

 detection (seepage 232). 



The nest of the spotted owl is a structure 

 of sticks lined with bark and other soft 



