The Screech Owls 

 No. 216b California Coast Screech Owl 



A. O. U. No. 373c. Otus asio bendirei (Brewster). 



Synonym. — Bendire's Screech Owl. 



Description. — Adult: With more or less conspicuous ear-tufts. General 

 plumage finely mottled brownish gray, boldly striped with black; above, the tone 

 produced by fine mixture of light ochraceous, pale grayish white, and dusky; black 

 streaks centrally on feathers, heavily and finely on head, more sparingly on back and 

 wings; outer webs of outer scapulars and greater coverts chiefly white, appearing as 

 large rounded spots; quills coarsely barred, fulvous and dusky on outer webs, more 

 obsoletely and sparingly on inner; underparts chiefly dull whitish, marked coarsely 

 with central streaks of blackish, and finely and irregularly cross-barred with the same — 

 the effect on the sides of the belly is as though the bird were covered with crawling 

 insects having narrow black bodies and four or five pairs of black legs set at varying 

 angles; middle of belly and lining of wings dingy white or palest tawny, nearly immacu- 

 late; facial disc not sharply set off from surrounding plumage, although defined by rim 

 of brownish, its feathers white with black shafts around base of bill, white with fine 

 herring-bone pattern of blackish distally. Bill blackish paling on tip; claws horn-color, 

 darkening on tips; iris yellow. Immature: Entire plumage, except quills and rectrices, 

 finely barred dusky and whitish. Length of adult 203.2-247.6 (8.00-9.75); male: 

 wing 161. 9 (6.37); tail 81. 1 (3.19); bill from cere 14. 1 (.555); female: wing 166.2 (6.55); 

 tail 84.1 (3.31); bill from cere 14.7 (.579). 



Remarks. — This form, unlike 0. a. typicus, 0. a. ncevius, and many other full 

 species of the genus Otus, has no rufescent or "red" phase. Its color tone, in fact, is 

 singularly uniform. But Mr. Grinnell has pointed out that there is a noticeable 

 gradation in tone from the darker and warmer specimens of the northwestern part of the 

 State through average specimens of the Bay region, to lighter and grayer birds from 

 Walker's Pass and the vicinity of Los Angeles; and he has given the name 0. a. quercinus 

 to the last-mentioned. There is no doubt that the tendency exists, but it is occasionally 

 contradicted by local exam pies, and I do not follow Mr. Grinnell in according it a 

 separate name. 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size, but appearing larger; ear-tufts — "horns" — 

 with size, distinctive in range; darker and browner than 0. a. gilmani. 



Nesting. — Nest: An old woodpecker hole or natural cavity in stub or tree, 

 usual'y at moderate elevations. Sometimes lined indifferently with casts, trash, and 

 feathers. Eggs: 2 to 4; subspherical, white. Av. size 35 x 30 (1.38 x 1.18). Season: 

 March-May; one brood. 



Range of Otus asio. — Temperate North America, breeding from Sitka, Alaska, 

 southeastern British Columbia, and northern border of the eastern states, south into 

 northern Mexico. 



Range of 0. a. bendirei. — "California, except southeastern desert region (and, 

 probably, northern coast district) and south central Oregon (Fort Klamath)" (Ridgway). 



Distribution in California. — Resident in Upper Sonoran and Transition zones 

 west of the Sierran divide. Most common in San Diegan district and along the inner 

 coast ranges south of San Francisco Bay. Also common along the timbered foothills 

 of the western Sierras north to Shasta. It is purely a matter of opinion whether 

 specimens from Eureka should be referred to bendirei or to brewsteri of the Oregon 

 Coast. 



I IOl 



