Head, large, without ear-tufts; cavity of the ear, large; bill, rather
long, covered at the base by projecting, bristle-like feathers; eyes,
rather small, and surrounded by radiated feathers; facial disc, perfect;
wings, very long, pointed, and with the outer edges distinctly fringed;
tarsi, long, thinly covered with feathers; toes, long, more or less
covered with bristles; claws, long, moderately strong, curved, very
sharp; tail, moderate, or rather long. Contains about twelve species of
all parts of the world, nearly all of which resemble in a greater or
less measure _Strix flammea_, of Europe, and _Strix pratincola_, of
North America.
1. Strix pratincola. Bonap. Comp. List., p. 7. (1838.) The Barn Owl.
Strix americana. Aud. Orn. Biog. II. p. 421 (1834, but not of
Gmelin, 1788).
Wilson Am. Orn., VI. pl. 50., fig. 2. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 171, octavo
edition, I. pl. 34. Nat. Hist. State of New York Birds, pl. 13, fig.
28.
Typical, and strictly exhibiting the generic characters.
Adult. Entire plumage above, pale fawn color, or tawny
brownish-yellow, in some specimens nearly white, mottled with
dark-gray and white, especially on the back and wing coverts and outer
webs of the quills, which mottling gives the predominating color of
those parts to many specimens; nearly every feather with a small
subterminal black spot succeeded by another of white. Quills,
fawn-colored, or pale reddish-yellow, varying much in shade in
different specimens, and fading into nearly white on the inner webs;
primaries with about five irregular transverse bars of brownish-black.
Under parts, generally pale fawn color, but in some specimens, pure
white, with small sagittate, lanceolate or circular spots of
brownish-black; tibiæ and tarsi similar in color to the other under
parts, but frequently unspotted and pure white; inferior coverts of
the wing and tail, white; tail, same color as quills and crossed by
four or five bars of dark-brown; face, white, with central spots of
dark-chestnut nearly encircling the eyes, disc feathers tipped with
dark fawn-color and brownish-black, forming a very conspicuous margin,
especially on the lower part of the face; bill, toes and claws,
light-yellowish; irides, brown. Distinctive colors of sexes not well
understood, but they are, probably, nearly alike.
Dimensions. _Female_, total length, about 16 inches; wing, 13; tail,
5½ inches. _Male_, smaller.
Hab. The whole of North America, except the northern regions; more
abundant in the south. Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy), Vermont (Dr. Brewer, Mr.
Z. Thompson), Massachusetts (Dr. Emmons), Oregon (U. S. Ex. Exp.,
Vincennes), California (Dr. Heermann), New Mexico (Dr. Henry), South
Carolina (Mr. Audubon, Prof. Gibbes), Texas, Mexico (Lieut. Couch).
Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This handsome species of Owl may be regarded as most properly a
southern and western species, being of rather rare occurrence north of
Virginia, though it breeds occasionally in the Northern States. It is
nearly related to _Strix flammea_ of Europe, but is larger. It very much
resembles also several other species of various parts of the world, such
as _S. perlata_ of South America, _S. furcata_ of the island of Cuba,
and others. Naturalists have, in fact, established species on very
slender characters, amongst the owls of this group. It is a very
harmless bird, resorting in the south to buildings and outhouses, and
subsisting on small animals. Different specimens vary considerably in
shade of color and somewhat in dimensions.