76 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Field -characters. — Most diurnal of our resident Owls. Often 

 perches on fence-rail or tree-stump in bright sunshine, and whether 

 on the wing or at rest, its small size, flat head, short tail, and greyish- 

 brown plumage profusely spotted and streaked with white, are 

 characteristic. Flight, dipping like that of Woodpeckers, but 

 rounded wing and general appearance proclaim the bird an Owl. 

 Noisy at all hours. The usual cry is " kiew-kiew," or " kwow- 

 wow," or " kiew-wow-wow." If nesting -place is invaded, old birds 

 maintain a chattering " whek-whek-whek, " punctuated with an 

 occasional barking " wherrow." Hunger-cry of young a continuous 

 wheezing call. 



Breeding-habits. — Now widely distributed but especially partial 

 to low ground, well -wooded, pollarded willows by rivers, etc. Nest. 

 —A mere scrape, with sometimes a few feathers and disintegrated 

 pellets in hole of trees, also often in holes of walls of farm buildings, 

 and occasionally in rabbit -burrows or under stacks of wood. Eggs. 

 — Usually 3 to 5 or 6, but clutches of 7 have been recorded on several 

 occasions and there is some evidence that nine have been once found 

 in a nest. Colour white. Average of 67 British eggs, 34.8x28.9. 

 Max.: 38.6x29 and 34x31. Min. : 33x28.4 and 33.5x27.7 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — Second half of April and May. Incubation. — 

 Sometimes begins with first egg, but not always, and lasts 26-28 

 days. Single brooded. Fledging -period. — About 26 days. 



Food. — Very varied ; including mammals (mice, shrews (two 

 species), field voles), birds (Blackbird, Thrush, Meadow-Pipit and 

 young Pheasants and Partridges as well as chickens recorded), frogs, 

 blindworm, insects (especially beetles ; larvae of lepidoptera) 

 spiders, centipedes and earthworms. Probably food varies accord- 

 ing to locality, but beetles and worms are very freely taken, small 

 birds and mammals not infrequently, while definite records of 

 damage to young game are scarce. 



Distribution. — England. — Now resident as an introduced bird. 

 About twenty early recorded examples may have been genuine 

 vagrants. Large numbers have been introduced, notably by the 

 late Lord Lilford near Oundle, Northants., some years previous to 

 1889, and by Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo near Edenbridge, Kent, 

 about 1874. Five turned out by Waterton in Yorks. in 1843 did 

 not succeed, while a number released by Lord Rothschild in Tring 

 Park almost completely disappeared ; but from Oundle and Eden- 

 bridge birds spread rapidly, and now no doubt breed in all English 

 counties (including I. of Wight) south of Lancashire and Yorkshire. 

 Recently occurred as far north as Skipton and in Wolds, but no 

 definite Yorkshire breeding record though probably does breed in 

 south. No recent occurrences in Northumberland, Cumberland, 

 Durham, Westmorland or Lanes. No definite breeding records 

 for following counties but has frequently occurred and now almost 



