The Great Gray Owl 



near Ukiah, and attributed by elimination to this bird, was characterized 

 by considerable variety of inflection. The hoot notes were "narrower" 

 and higher-pitched than those of a Horned Owl, and their utterance 

 seemed to follow no definite order: Hod ah hod ah, and again, hod ah hoo 

 hoo ah. 



Little is known, either, of the food habits of this rare Owl. Dickey 

 found rather scanty remains of mice and brush rats at the Owl's nest, and 

 saw feathers of Crested Jays which he attributed to a Strigine banquet. 

 Curiously, however, two instances are on record where remains of Pygmy 

 Owls, Glaucidium gnoma, have been found in the stomachs of recently 

 killed Spotted Owls. Evidently there is scant courtesy among brigands. 



No. 214 



Great Gray Owl 



A. O. U. No. 370. Scotiaptex nebulosa nebulosa (Forster). 



Description. — Adult: No ear-tufts; general plumage mottled — dusky, grayish 

 brown, and dull whitish — darker above, lighter below, where the dusky markings are 

 indistinctly longitudinal on breast and belly, and transverse on flanks; the whitish 

 impure and with a fulvous element on the margin of the facial disc, hind-neck, wings, 

 tail, etc.; wing-quills and tail irregularly barred, dusky and mottled gray; facial disc 

 about six inches across, light gray, with numerous dusky lines imperfectly concentric 

 about each eye; the edge of the disc dark brown and fulvous, and with more white 

 below; the eyes bordered by black on the inner margin; iris yellow. Bill pale yellow; 

 claws bluish dusky; feet and toes heavily feathered. Length 635-762 (25.00-30.00); 

 wing 406.4-457.2 (16.00-18.00) ; tail 279.4-317.5 (1 1. 00-12. 50) ; bill with cere 35.6 (1.40). 



Recognition Marks. — Size largest — Brant size; gray face; absence of ear-tufts 

 will immediately distinguish it from the Horned Owls. 



Nesting. — Nest: Of sticks and moss, lined sparingly with down, placed high in 

 trees, usually coniferous. Eggs: 2-4; white. Av. size, 54.9 x 43.4 (2.16 x 1.71). 

 Season: April-June, according to latitude; one brood. 



Range of Scotiaptex nebulosa. — Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere. 



Range of 5. n. nebulosa. — Boreal North America, breeding from central Keewatin 

 and central Alberta north to the limit of trees, and rarely south along the Cascade- 

 Sierra mountain chain to the Yosemite sector. South irregularly and rarely in winter 

 into the northern or north-central states. 



Occurrence in California. — Rare winter visitor in northern portion of State. 

 Has also bred recently in the central Sierras near Yosemite. 



Authorities. — Newberry (Syrnium cinereum), Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv., vol. vi., 

 1857, p. 77 (upper Sacramento Valley); B elding, Land Birds Pac. Dist., 1890, p. 50 

 (Chico) ; Grinnell, Condor, xvi., 1914, p. 94 (McCloud). 



GREAT Gray Ghost would be a more fitting title for this sepulchral 

 bird, whose very existence is a mere tradition to most of us. Although 



ZO96 



