The Horned Owls 
Of the most recent recorded occurrence, Grinnell says: 1 “On the 
evening of July 15, 1905, at Bluff Lake, I obtained an adult male of this 
rare species. During the preceding two evenings we had repeatedly 
heard a peculiar note, different from that of any other owl we had ever 
heard. It consisted of a single mellow ‘whoot,’ repeated at regular inter¬ 
vals, something like the call note of the Phainopepla in this respect. These 
notes began to be heard at early dusk, by seven o’clock; but on account of 
their ventriloquial quality, gave little clue as to distance. Although far 
reaching, the notes proved to have been uttered close at hand.” 
No. 218 
Horned Owl 
No. 218a California Horned Owl 
A. O. U. No. 375d. Bubo virginianus pacificus Cassin. 
Synonyms.— Pacific Horned Owl. Hoot Owl, par excellence. Cat Owl. 
Description. — Adult: Ear-tufts conspicuous, two inches or more in length, black, 
bordered with ochraceous; entire upperparts dusky or blackish, finely barred and 
mottled with prevailing whitish and ochraceous, the latter color predominant on each 
feather basally; wing-quills and tail faintly broad-barred; facial disc ochraceous, 
sharply bordered by blackish laterally, feathers whitish and black-tipped centrally, 
borders before and over eye blackish; a broad white space on chest; feathers of remaining 
underparts tawny or ochraceous tawny at base, changing to white on terminal portions 
(in very variable amount), finely and heavily barred with dusky brown; the sides of 
breast spotted with the same color; the toes pale tawny, nearly immaculate; iris bright 
yellow. Bill and toe-nails bluish black. Young: Above and below ochraceous, barred 
with dusky. Chicks are covered with white down. Measurements, av. of 4 males: 
Length (skins): 514.35 (20.25); wing 342 (13.47); tail 210 (8.27); bill from cere 26.1 
(1.03). Av. of 6 females: Length 557.53 (21.95); wing 366 (14.41); tail 236 (9.29); 
bill from cere 28.1 (1.11). 
Remarks. —This is the prevailing form throughout California, save in the humid 
coastal belt and the arid southeast. Ridgway, following Oberholser, has recognized a 
southern coastal form, B. v. icelus, from the “coast of California from about Latitude 
35 north, to the San Francisco Bay district,” but the distinction is clearly based on 
insufficient material. The influence of saturatus, that is, the darkening tendency, is 
felt all the way down the coast, but specimens from the southern humid coast belt 
can be duplicated by specimens from the San Bernardinos, and there is no constant 
difference, as alleged. 
Recognition Marks. —Largest except for the two rare species, Scotiaptex n. 
nebulosa and Nyctea nyctea. “Horns” and size distinctive. Much darker than B. v. 
pallescens; lighter than B. v. saturatus. 
1 The Biota of the San Bernardino Mountains, p. 59. 
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