152 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



Food habits. — Dr. Fisher, after examining over 100 stom- 

 achs of this bird, concluded that it is decidedly more beneficial 

 than harmful. Poultry was found in only 3 of the stomachs 

 examined, while 13 contained other birds ; 46, mice ; 18, other 

 mammals; 4, frogs; 14, insects; and 9 contained crawfish. 

 The stomach of one of these owls taken at Barachias in Decem- 

 ber contained crawfish; and one from Autaugaville in the 

 same month, 2 shrews and 5 insects, including a cricket. 



FLORIDA SCREECH OWL; SQUINCH OWL; DEATH 

 OWL : Ottos asio asio (Linnaeus) .* 



State records. — The southern race of the screech owl is 

 common and generally distributed over the State. Specimens 

 have been examined from Leighton, Ardell, Sand Mountain 

 (near Carpenter), Greensboro, Autaugaville, and Ashford. 

 Those from Leighton and Sand Mountain are intermediate 

 between the northern and southern races, but are nearer the 

 latter. In the coast region these birds are rather uncommon ; 

 a few have been noted, however, at Mobile, Bayou Labatre, 

 and Orange Beach. 



The nesting season begins in April, eggs having been found 

 at Barachias, April 7 and April 10, and young birds at Leigh- 

 ton, April 24. 



General habits. — Like most of the owls, this little species 

 is strictly noctural. It spends the daylight hours in a hollow 

 tree, in a loft or shed, or sometimes in the crotch of a tree or 

 in a thick evergreen. At the farm of J. H. Tharp, near Ash- 

 ford, in November, 1916, I observed one of these owls which 

 had selected on open shed in the barnyard for a roosting place. 

 The bird was very tame and allowed visitors to watch him at 

 close range as he sat in the darkest part of the shed on a pro- 

 jecting piece of wood near the peak of the roof. One cloudy 

 morning about sunrise I saw him on a post in the yard intent- 

 ly eyeing the ground. Soon he dropped to the ground to pick 

 up something and again resumed his perch in the shed. 



The screech owl is partial to open, cultivated country, rather 

 than heavy timber, and is often found in old apple orchards 



•Otus asio floridanus of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk 

 vol. 34, p. 202, 1917. ' 



