BARN OWLS 
173 
Distribution. — Breeds from Hudson 
Bay and Alaska south throughout the 
United States and Mexico; migrates to 
the West Indies and northern South 
America. 
Nest. — On the ground, in trees, on 
telegraph poles, cliffs, or deserted build¬ 
ings, made of large sticks, brush, and 
rubbish, such as weeds and cornstalks, 
lined with softer materials like seaweed, 
cedar bark, and corn leaves. Eggs: usu¬ 
ally 3, varying greatly in size, color, and 
markings. Ground color generally white, 
sometimes so evenly overlaid as to ap¬ 
pear buff y or vinaceous, and usually heav¬ 
ily blotched with brown and wine red. 
Food. — Fish. 
With almost gull-like persistency 
the fish hawk follows the rivers and 
lakes, circling on crooked wings above 
the surface of the water or perching 
near the shore on the top of some old 
dead tree overlooking the rippling 
surface. When a fish is sighted below the long wings are folded 
and with a meteor-like plunge the bird sinks into the water, imbed¬ 
ding the long hooked talons in the back of the fish. With a few 
powerful strokes of the wings it is up again, carrying the fish with 
talons planted one ahead of the other in its back, to make it go head 
first instead of sidewise, so that it will cut the air. With its prey 
the osprey makes for its nest, or if it has no nest flies to a branch 
where it can devour its quarry at leisure. 
Every spring the fish hawks add a new layer to the old nest, and 
if undisturbed will use the same structure as long as the sticks hold 
together. The nests are generally scattered and by no means com¬ 
mon, but in places where suckers and other fish are abundant and 
easily caught, the ospreys sometimes live in large colonies, coming 
back year after year to the same nests. Vernon Bailey. 
FAMILY STRIGIDiE BARN OWLS. 
GENUS STRIX. 
365. Strix pratincola Bonap. Barn Owl. 
Wings long, pointed, folding beyond tail; tail short, about half as long 
as wing ; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe 
without claw, closely feathered above, slightly feath¬ 
ered and bristly below, as on toes ; feathers of back of 
tarsus pointing upward; inner toe as long as middle 
toe; inner edge of middle claw pectinated. 
Facial disk pure white to tawny; under parts pure Fi S* 239* 
Fig. 238. Fish Hawk. 
