Size medium or small; head moderate, without ear-tufts; facial disc
obsolete; bill moderate, strongly curved, with projecting plumes at
base; wings long, third quill longest; tail long, graduated, broad; legs
short, and with the toes densely feathered. General form rather
lengthened, but moderately robust. This genus includes the Hawk Owl of
the Arctic regions and two other species of South Africa.
1. Surnia ulula. (Linn.) The Hawk Owl. The Day Owl.
Strix ulula. Linn., Syst. Nat. I., p. 133. (1766.)
Strix uralensis and hudsonia. Gm., Syst. Nat. I., p. 295. (1788.)
Strix doliata. Pallas, Zool. I., p. 316. (1811.)
Surnia borealis. Less., Traité d’Orn. I., p. 100. (1831.)
“Strix funerea. Linn.” Audubon and other authors.
Buff., Pl. Enl. 463; Edward’s Birds, pl. 62; Wilson, Am. Orn. VI., pl.
50, fig. 6; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 378; Oct. ed. I., pl. 27; Nat. Hist.
N. Y. Birds, pl. 9, fig. 19.
Size medium; first three quills incised on their inner-webs; tail
long, with its central feathers about two inches longer than the
outer; tarsi and toes thickly feathered. Adult. Entire upper parts
fuliginous brown; the head and neck behind with numerous small
circular spots of white; scapulars and wing-coverts with numerous
partially-concealed large spots of white; face silky grayish-white;
throat mixed dark brown and white; a large brown spot on each side of
the breast; all the other under parts transversely lined or striped
with pale brown; quills and tail brown, with white stripes; bill pale
yellowish and horn color; irides yellow; color of upper parts darkest
on the head, and the white markings on the head and body varying
somewhat in different specimens.
Dimensions. _Female._—Total length, 16 to 17 inches; wing, 9; tail, 7
inches. _Male_ smaller.
Hab. Northern regions of both continents. Montreal (Dr. Hall); Maine,
Massachusetts (Dr. Brewer); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Northern Ohio (Prof.
Kirtland); Vermont (Mr. Z. Thompson); Hudson’s Bay (Dr. Richardson);
New Jersey (Mr. Harris). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This remarkable species, which partakes of the characters of both
an Owl and a Hawk, is of very rare occurrence in the Middle States of
this Union, though abundant in the northern regions of America, and
occasionally met with in the Northern States. It is in a great measure
diurnal in its habits, venturing abroad boldly in daylight.
Careful examination of numerous American and European specimens has not
enabled us to detect any differences.
This bird was undoubtedly meant by Linnæus in his description of _Strix
ulula_. The name applied to it by various authors, _Strix funerea_, is
properly applicable to the European species, to which Gmelin gave the
name _Strix Tengmalmi_.
The descriptions now given embrace all the species of Owls the existence
of which in America north of Mexico is satisfactorily demonstrated;
though in the succeeding pages various others will be enumerated as
obscure or little known.
All the species enumerated in the preceding synopsis, except _Nyctale
albifrons_, are known to be of common occurrence in some part of that
portion of this continent included in our limits; and specimens of a
majority of them can be obtained generally in the course of a single
winter in the markets of either of the larger cities, being brought for
sale from the country, as is the case with the Falcons, and also all the
larger and most common wading and swimming birds. The study of the
habits of Owls is, however, attended with peculiar difficulties, on
account of their nocturnal habits; and it is not therefore remarkable
that questions respecting common species are yet to be regarded as
unsettled. The identity, for instance, of _Scops asio_ and _Scops
nævia_, is by no means universally admitted; nor, if identical, is the
change in the colors of their plumage sufficiently well understood.
Gentlemen well acquainted with American ornithology, and in whose
opinions we have the highest confidence (as, for instance, Thomas B.
Wilson, M. D., and Samuel W. Woodhouse, M. D., of Philadelphia), are
strongly disposed to doubt that they are identical.
Specimens of Owls to be met with in North American collections are very
generally in winter plumage; and the procuring of several of the species
in the spring or during the summer, is comparatively of unusual
occurrence. The fully ascertaining of the seasonal changes in any
species is yet desirable, even if only confirming previously known
facts, or the statements of authors. It is possible that _Nyctale
albifrons_ is the adult of _Nyctale acadica_. This we give as an example
illustrative of the importance of further observations, and may be
allowed to add that, of several American species nearly related to
others of Europe and Asia, the comparison of specimens of similar ages
and in similar seasonal plumage, is only satisfactory and reliable.
In Western North America, it is exceedingly probable that species of
this family exist which are yet unknown to naturalists. In Texas,
species known as inhabitants of Mexico may yet be detected.
All the Owls found in the northern portion of the United States, are in
some measure migratory, and some species appear to travel in large
bands, scattered over a considerable extent of country. The Snowy Owl is
sometimes abundant for a few days, and then will suddenly disappear from
a district, perhaps soon to appear again. The Marsh Owl appears along
the river Delaware occasionally in considerable numbers, and staying but
a short time, or leaving apparently only a few stragglers. We once saw
what was very nearly a flock of this species, on a shooting excursion in
“the Neck,” as it is called, or the point of land below Philadelphia,
formed by the junction of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, the larger
portion of which is wholly devoted to the cultivation of culinary
vegetables for the market of the city. On getting over the fence into a
small field, in which a crop of cabbages had been raised, the smaller
_heads_ of many of which remained, we were surprised to see a large
number of stalks ornamentally surmounted by Owls. They soon, however,
dispersed in all directions.
The Barn Owl (_Strix pratincola_), as well as the Marsh Owl (_Otus
brachyotus_), we have known to occur in open fields, where but little
concealment was possible.
The Red or Mottled Owl is very persistent in its locality, and the same
pair probably returns to the woods that it has previously occupied in
preceding seasons, in some measure disregarding encroachments on its
extent. In a small tract of timbered land at Powelton, the hospitable
residence of John Hare Powel, Esq., surrounded by villages constituting
a portion of the suburbs of Philadelphia, a pair of this species
continued to appear and to raise broods of young until within a period
of only two or three years past, notwithstanding constantly occurring
chances of molestation.
An interesting fact relating to the species just mentioned (_Scops
asio_), has recently been communicated to us by our esteemed friend, Mr.
William Kite, of Chester county, Pennsylvania, a careful observer, much
attached to the pursuit of natural history. He made the singular
discovery that in this species the early ceremonies in the association
of a pair about to assume the duties of incubation were for the greater
part performed on the ground, and were accompanied invariably by unusual
and continued cries, thus illustrating in a striking manner the strong
analogy of these birds to the cat-like quadrupeds. This remarkable
circumstance we regard as new in the history of this family of birds,
and the observation of other species would be in a high degree
interesting.
Further investigations and collections in this family are particularly
desirable in the western and northwestern regions of North America, and
will very probably result in the discovery of species not now known to
naturalists.