BIRDS OF PREY 



(373) Otus asio asio 



{Linn.) (Lat., a small kind of horned owl). 



SCREECH OWL; LITTLE CAT- 

 OWL. A small owl with prominent 

 ear tufts. Plumage as shown, there 

 being two color phases, a reddish 

 and a gray, irrespecti\'e of age or 

 se.x. L., 9.00; Ex., 22.00; W., 6.50; 

 T., 3.25. Nest — In hollow trees, 

 either in woods or orchards, or even 

 in bird bo.xes; four to seven pure 

 white eggs, 1.35x1.20. 



Range — Resident in eastern North 

 America from N. B., Ont. and Minn, 

 south to Ga. and Tex. (373a) FLOR- 

 IDA SCREECH OWL (O. a. flori- 

 danus), found along the Gulf coast 

 and north to S. Car., is smaller and 

 darker; the red phase is most abun- 

 dant of this variety while the gray 

 predominates in the northern birds. 



ACADIAN OWLS are the smallest species found in eastern 

 North America. They are locally distributed and resident 

 in the northern half of the United States and southern 

 British Provinces; as those in the northern parts of their 

 range migrate southward, they are more often seen in our 

 country during winter. They are so small and so nocturnal 

 in their habits that they might not be discovered in a locality 

 even though numbers of them were there. Chickadees, by 

 their noisy chattering, have disclosed the hiding places of 

 several to me; most of these allowed themselves to be caught 

 in the hands. 



They feed chiefly upon mice and insects, which they catch 

 during their nightly rambles, and of course to some extent 

 upon small birds. During spring, their shrill, peculiar 

 whistles may be heard in swampy woods, within which they 

 preferably nest. Their eggs are usually deposited at the 

 bottoms of deserted woodpecker holes. 



SCREECH OWLS, in some of the many sub-species, are 

 distributed throughout the United States, and are probably 



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