THE WHITE -BREASTED BARN-OWL. 



97 



m 



Middle toe of the 

 Bam - Owl (Tyto 

 a. alba), showing- 

 flattened and ser- 

 rated inner edge 

 of claw. 



12 feathers, tips rounded. Three toes usually directed forwards 

 but 4th is reversible, claws long and very sharp, inner edge of 

 third claw flattened and serrated. N.B. — These 

 serrations are not present in nestlings and are 

 less well marked in juvenile than in adults. Bill 

 fairly strong, much compressed and upper man- 

 dible strongly curved and projecting at tip which 

 is very sharply pointed, lower mandible shorter 

 with rounded tip. Nostrils nearly covered by 

 bristle-like feathers of disk. 



Soft parts. — Bill yellowish-white to flesh -white ; 

 claws dark horn-colour ; iris black. 

 Characters and allied forms. — For differences 

 of T. a. guttata see under that form. British speci- 

 mens of T. a. alba are on the whole less spotted 

 than others but there is no constant difference. 

 T. a. ernesti (Sardinia, Corsica) is paler on upper- 

 parts and purer white on under -parts with rarely 

 any spots or buff tinge even in females, tail white 

 sometimes with buff and with little barring, wing- 

 feathers pale with little barring ; T. a. schmitzi 

 (Madeira) has dark upper -parts, spotted under - 

 parts, very dark spot on facial disk and large, stout toes ; T. a. 

 gracilirostris (eastern Canary Islands) is smaller and has a fine 

 bill ; T. a. detorta (Cape Verde) is still darker than T. a. guttata 

 with wider and more prominent black and grey mesial streaks on 

 upper -parts and darker and broader bars on wings and tail ; T. a. 

 maculata (Nubia to South Africa) has spotted under -parts, long 

 tarsi and long toes ; many other forms are found outside the 

 Palsearctic Region. Barn-Owls are easily distinguished from 

 other British Owls by their golden-buff colouring and unstreaked 

 under-parts. 



Field -characters. — Spends the day in ruins, church towers, 

 dovecotes, clefts in cliffs, hollow trees, house-roofs, and similar 

 places, seldom coming abroad before nightfall. If it does fly in 

 day-time, bird is a conspicuous object in landscape, as, with buoyant, 

 reeling flight, it quarters ground in search of prey, and orange-buff 

 upper -parts and pure white face and under-parts are unmistakable. 

 Usual cry, an eerie, long-drawn shriek. Hisses when disturbed, 

 and, like other Owls, expresses anger by snapping bill. Purring 

 chirrup denotes pleasure. Hunger -cry a loud sustained snore. 

 Breeding-habits. — Generally breeds in unoccupied buildings, 

 ruins, or old timber. No nest, eggs laid on floor of hole, which is 

 often covered with disintegrated and fresh pellets, in dark corner 

 of belfry or barn, or hole in ruinous wall, sometimes in hole of tree 

 or occasionally in crevice among rocks, dovecotes, or old nests of 

 Jackdaw, etc. Eggs. — Usually 4 to 6 in number, but occasionally 

 7 to 10 or 11, white, without gloss, and somewhat elongated in 



VOL. II. H 



