74 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



ATHENE NOCTUA* 



234. Athene noctua mira With.— THE LITTLE OWL. 



Athene noctua mira Witherby, Brit. B., xin, p. 283 (1920 — Holland). 

 Carine noctua (Scopoli), Yarrell, 1, p. 178 ; Athene noctua (Scopoli), 

 Saunders, p. 301. 

 Athene noctua noctua (Scop.), Hand-List, p. 106 (1912). 



Description (Plate 1). — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole 

 upper -parts dark sepia, sometimes with a tinge of more rufous- 

 brown, each feather with its centre white edged buff ; centres 

 narrower and in form of drop-like streaks on crown, larger and more 

 rounded on upper mantle showing much white and on scapulars, but 

 smaller and much concealed by brown edgings of feathers on lower 

 mantle, rump and upper tail-coverts ; (white tufted filoplumes rather 

 numerous on back of crown and nape) ; facial disk white, feathers 

 on loral portion tipped black, those over eye white and below and 

 behind eye marked with dark sepia (feathers normal above posterior 

 portion of eye and disk incomplete here) ; chin and line under facial 

 disk and patch on lower throat white ; sides of neck and band 

 across throat mottled dark sepia and buff ; breast, sides and flanks 

 dark sepia and white or huffish -white, white being mostly confined 

 to spots on sides of breast, but flanks with less sepia which is 

 more in form of streaks ; centre of belly white ; under tail-coverts 

 same but with faint brown shaft-streaks ; feathers on tibia marked 

 with sepia ; tarsus white, and toes thinly covered with bristle-like 

 feathers ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white with a few dark 

 sepia spots and coverts at base of primaries with long dark sepia 

 tips ; tail sepia barred brownish-buff ; primaries and secondaries 

 sepia tipped and barred buffish -white, the bars being almost 

 obsolete in centres of feathers and much paler and widened to 

 somewhat tooth-like marks on edges of both inner and outer webs ; 

 primary -coverts dark sepia with a buffish spot on outer and inner 

 web ; greater and median wing-coverts dark sepia with large 

 white spots ; lesser coverts same but with much smaller and more 

 buffish spots. This plumage is acquired by complete moult Aug.- 

 Nov. Summer. — One was moulting slightly on body in March but 

 this seems quite exceptional. Abrasion makes streaks on head 

 rather white and more prominent and contrasts of brown and white 

 of under -parts rather sharper. 



Nestling. — Down white, short but plentiful covering whole 

 bird to base of toes but back of tarsal joint bare. 



Juvenile. — As in Snowy Owl feathers of body, and greater, 

 median and lesser wing -coverts of very loose and downy structure 



* The generic name Athene has been rejected on account of the previous 

 Athena of Hiibner for a genus of moths ; but no explanation of the meanings 

 of either name being given, both may stand. Otherwise Carine would have 

 to be adopted. — E.H. 



