213 
365. Barn Owl (Including American Barn Owl), monkey-faced owl. Tytoalba. 
L, 18. General ground colour a reddish ochre, lighter below, facial disk dull white with 
an outer edging of darker ochre, to brown. Back, to top of head, frosted over with ash- 
grey with numerous small eye-spots outlined in black. Under- 
parts, throat, and around face, sprinkled with scattered round, dark 
spots. 
Distinctions. The strongly outlined heart-shaped facial disk 
and black eyes, without horns or ear tufts (Figure 234), soft 
yellow coloration with a suggestion of pink, and the tarsi, almost 
bare of feathers, are distinctive. 
Nesting. In towers, steeples, or holes in bams, banks, or 
trees. 
Distribution. Nearly cosmopolitan in the warmer regions. 
In America, occurring across the continent, northward only 
casually across the Canadian boundary. There are single records 
for the species in Manitoba and southern British Columbia. 
Barn Owl; scale, about J. SUBSPECIES. The American bird is now regarded as a 
geographical race, of a nearly world-wide species, under the 
name of American Bam Owl Tyto alba pratincola. 
This is the American representative of the ruin-haunting European 
Owl so familiar in song and story. It is a wonderfully efficient mouser 
and a most valuable bird, but is rare in Canada. 
FAMILY — STRIGIDAE. HORNED OR EARED OWLS 
The family is known as “Homed” or “Eared” from the tufts of feathers 
projecting from the forehead in some of the species, though not in all. 
It includes all the Canadian Owls except the Barn Owl previously mentioned. 
With the exception of the small Burrowing and the still more minute Pygmy 
Owls, all species mentioned here have the feet heavily feathered to at least 
the base of the toes. In these exceptions, the feathering of the feet is bristle- 
like and rudimentary. 
366. American Long-eared Owl. brush owl. Asio vnlsonianus. L, 14-80. A 
medium-sized owl, similar in general coloration to the darker race of the Great Homed Owl, 
but much smaller and of more slender build. 
Distinctions. Although the colouring is suggestive of a dark Great Homed Owl, 
the difference in size easily separates the two; besides this, the Long-eared Owl has 
none of the fine, sharp vermiculation, above or below, that is so characteristic of the other 
species. From the Short-eared Owl, which is about equal in size and build, it may be dis- 
tinguished by the prominent horns or ear tufts that spring from the centre of the forehead, 
by its lack of decided, sharp striping, and the amount of grey or black and white, that 
suffuses the body colour. The Long-eared Owl is softly striped below, but the stripes are 
somewhat crossbarred and there is much white overwash. The Short-eared Owl is sharply 
striped with brown on tawny and there is little if any crossbarring or white. It is decidedly 
a striped bird, the Long-eared is not. 
Field Marks. The prominent horns standing up from the middle of the forehead, 
rusty-brown facial disks, and general greyness will differentiate this from the Short-eared 
Owl, the only species with which it is likely to be confused. 
Nesting. In trees or bushes usually in the deserted nests of Hawks or Crows. 
Distribution. Temperate North America. In Canada, across the continent, north to 
near the tree limit. 
This is an Owl of the brush land and coulees. In dryer parts of the 
Prairie Provinces there is scarcely a wooded coulee that has not its pair of 
Long-eared Owls, raising their brood in the nest once built by a Crow or 
Buteo. Brooding here or perched in the shadowy thicket, through the day, 
it sallies forth to the prairie level at night, carrying death and destruction 
into the ranks of the small nocturnal rodents. That it takes occasional 
