GREAT GRAY OWL. 
259 
HABITS. 
One has but to glance at the long, downy plumage of the Great Gray Owls to under¬ 
stand that they are inhabitants of a boreal clime, and they do dwell in the Arctic regions, 
not only in summer but also remain there all winter, being protected from the ravages of 
the intense cold by the thick coat of soft plumage with which they are provided. They 
must find an abundance of food in those bleak and inhospitable sections for they seldom 
leave them, being quite uncommon even in the more northern of the New England States, 
while they are very rare in Massachusetts; so rare, in fact, that I never had the good for¬ 
tune to meet with one living although I have searched diligently for them for many years. 
There are but a few instances on record of the capture of these desirable Owls in the state 
and the greater part of these occurred in the neighborhood of the sea shore, mainly at Lynn 
and Salem or in the vicinity. I do not think that they wander south of this point as a 
rule, but a single specimen was taken in Connecticut many years ago. 
According to published descriptions, the Great Gray Owls resemble the Barred in 
habits, frequenting the densely wooded sections, hiding by day and flying about the coun¬ 
try by night. This brings me to a point which I have mentioned before—the sight of Owls. 
Almost every one believes that these birds cannot see well during daylight, even ornithol¬ 
ogists appear to have this opinion regarding certain species. Now, I have kept all but 
three of our native species in confinement and can thus affirm from actual observation that 
all of them are capable of discerning objects, far or near, in the brightest sunlight, as clear¬ 
ly as by night. Thus a Mottled Owl which I now have, watches the movements of insects 
as they fly about the room or crawl on the floor and, on several occasions, has alighted on 
them, striking them with his talons with as much adroitness as in the evening, even if the 
sunlight were shining on them. He also perceives objects at a distance; for example, he 
has a decided antipathy to cattle; thus when he sees one, he will utter a peculiar croak, 
indicative of alarm and I frequently hear him give this note as he sits on the sash of an 
open window, when there appears to be no cause for it, yet upon going to the window in 
order to observe the direction of his gaze, I often find that he is looking at a cow in a dis¬ 
tant field, so far away as to be scarcely noticeable. 
It is true that Owls see well by night but this is a faculty which is possessed, to a 
greater or less degree, by almost all birds although it is certainly brought to the greatest 
perfection in Owls as a class, yet the same power is possessed by nearly all the water birds, 
especially the swimmers. Thus, Ducks see well by night, as do also Cormorants, and a 
White Pelican which I once kept for four years, could see during the hours of darkness as 
well as any Owl. 
The breeding habits of the Great Gray Owls are not very well known but authors 
state that they construct nests of their own that are thickly lined with feathers which is 
quite an unusual feature with Owls although both the Barred and Great Horned occasion 
ally deposit some of their own plumage in their domiciles. The Great Gray Owls are not 
strictly migratory but, like the Barred, they wander somewhat during winter, especially 
during severe seasons. 
