The Screech Owl
By WILLIAM BUTCHER ‘
chairman National Committee ol Audnbnn Societies
DEschPTloN
.rllulr .llolrond thule. ' he Screech Owlsare dichromatic. i e. having or producing two colors. Red phase: General aspect above hrlghr rulous. generously streaked with shalt-Iinesol black: in some indl unit the shaltrllncs on the head are replaced by hliclr spots. The scapular leathers show considerable white there also more or less white in SW" individuals ohm-e the eyes Underneath: base color is white. overlaid with rutous. gen- r‘tally in bar there is also considetphle hlaelt in quite a pronounced hall»tollat: heavy black shalt-lines on breast. smaller ours and leather tips on Hanks and helIy. The legs and leer arL' leathered nearly to rhe end 0! the toes. Btll .c horn color.slmnst hidden hy ieathers and bristles. Eyes are very large. bright yellow in color, Guy oh; theral appearance ahovc brownish gray; the markings ot black and white are almost identical with thore on individuals in the red phase. Underneath: gray and white r-rnluseiy marked with blaelt shl net and narrow Mark hr hrown bars; wings and tail in both color phases are harred: ear rolls are erectile and are about one inch long: entire plumage is very shit and nutty in texture; rhere is no seasonal change in eolorot plumage.
Young —£ntire plumage is regularly barred with (fly or white; shatr es are entirely absent.
star —Varles lrorn no to to inches in length irom tip at bill to end oIr the temale being slightly the larger of the sexes.
.\'ni.*|s ncarl)‘ always in a natural cavity in a tree or in a deserted Wondpcckcr‘a hole. although occasionally may he tound in hoxcs nailed [0 trees. or in dark corners of barns. outrbuildings. etc.
Eggr —From [our to fire in it set: pure white in color. and somewhat glossy.
Dimihunanr‘rhc Screech Owl (Monaco): om). 4.0. U. Check No. in. breeds wherever it is toun . its hatutat extends throughout tcmpcrale North America. east or the tooth meridisn. between the pursllelsol u and u, degreestil Itotlh latitude. Several suhsnecies and closely allied spcci . hat-e heen dcserihed. which cxlendl rhe range or the Megaseops Owls nver ncarlt' all of the balance or western North America. trom sitta. Masha on the north. to Guatemalann tht~ south. The dinerences between these geographical races and allied species e very ghr. being mostly val tiuns in s e or color. A diderenee or one-hall an inch in the measurement at a wing. or u slighttr prayer. or brizhlrr rulous tinge on under side or upper parts. or slightly heavier shalt lines or not quite so many of them, are sult'reienr warrant to describe and name a new race. These are immaterial (acts tor the tanner. rearhrr or child. it is enough lot them to know that all of these numerous sub-divisions are. alter all. Screech curlsl
ln humid localities Owls have a rather darker plumage, while the reverse obtains in arid places The habits of all these Owls are the same. every member or the family being of the very greatest economic value.
The farmer or student when studying the Screech Owls must always bear in mind the two phases of colorired and gray. A bird of one color tnay be mated with a bird of another color. and their young may all be of one color. either red or gray. or the parents may he of one color and the young of mixed colors. However. no matter what the phase of color is. no person can mistake a Screech Owl for any other species of OWL The only other species that might possibly be confounded with them is the Sawtvhet Owl. which lacks car-tufts. is brown, and docs not have black shaft-lines. The Pigmy and Elf Owls. of the West. are very much smaller than the smallest of th: Screech Owls. being not larger than :t Thrll h. A family of birds of such wide distribution naturally has several common names. The Screech Owl is often known as the Red Owl or Mottled Owl. probably derived from its plumage. or Shivering Owl. undoubtedly derived from its notes. and Little Horned Owl. from its ear-tufts. and Cat Owl. evidently from the shape of the head_
in the East. Screech Owls are very fond of living.r in apple orchards. especially if the trees have been neglected and are decaying, tllus furnishing holes in which the Owls may breed or hide. The farmer who is so fortunate as to but a pair or more of Screech Owls attach themselves lo his orchard. should consider himself especially favored. for the good that they will do him by keeping in subjection the mice pest beyond calculation. A very intelligent farmer living in Seneca county. New York. informed the writer that mice and rabbits. principally the formcr. had in one winter (mpg-roots) killed every tree in a The trees were girdled a ten inches from the ground by rhese
(nit)
tire-acre pcat‘ll orchard.
