[Illustration: 365.]
=365. Barn Owl; Monkey-faced Owl= (_Strix pratincola_). L. 18. No
ear-tufts; eyes black. _Ads._ Above gray and yellowish buff; below
white more or less washed with buff and spotted with black. _Yng._
More buffy below. _Notes._ A sudden, harsh scream and a screaming
_cr-r-r-r-e-e_, repeated several times generally when flying.
Range.--United States north to Long Island, (rarely Massachusetts),
southern Ontario, Minnesota and Oregon; migrates slightly south and
winters south to Mexico.
[Illustration: 366.]
=366. American Long-eared Owl= (_Asio wilsonianus_). L. 14.8.
Ear-tufts long; eyes yellow. _Ads._ Above varied with _gray_; belly
_barred_. _Notes._ Usually silent except during the breeding season
when they utter a soft toned, slow _wu-hunk_, _wu-hunk_ and a low,
twittering, whistling _dicky_, _dicky_, _dicky_. (Bendire.)
Range.--North America; breeds from Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British
Columbia south into Mexico.
[Illustration: 367.]
=367. Short-eared Owl= (_Asio accipitrinus_). L. 15.5. Ear tufts
short; eyes yellow. _Ads._ No gray above; belly _streaked_. _Notes._ A
shrill barking call like the _ki-yi_ of a small dog. (Lawrence.)
Range.--"Nearly cosmopolitan;" in America breeds locally from
Virginia, northern Mississippi Valley, and Dakotas northward; winters
from northern United States southward.
[Illustration: 378.]
=378. Burrowing Owl= (_Speotyto cunicularia hypogA|a_). L. 10. Tarsi
bare behind. _Ads._ Spotted above with buffy; belly barred; chin and
breast-patch white. _Yng._ Less distinctly spotted above; belly
without bars. _Notes._ A mellow, sonorous _coo-c-o-o_; a chattering
note uttered when flying, and a short, shrill alarm-note, _tzip-tzip_.
(Bendire.)
Range.--Western North America from humid coast region east to prairies
of Mississippi Valley (western Nebraska, central Kansas, western
Minnesota); north to about line of Canadian Pacific R. R.; south to
Central America.
=378a. Florida Burrowing Owl= (_S. c. floridana_). Similar to No. 378,
but slightly smaller and whiter throughout; spots above white with
little if any buff; tarsi nearly bare.
Range.--Interior of southern Florida.
Owls
[Illustration: 368.]
=368. Barred Owl= (_Syrnium varium_). L. 80. No ear-tufts; eyes
black. _Ads._ Head, back and breast _barred_; _toes feathered
nearly if not quite to the nails_. _Notes._ A loud, sonorous
_whoo-whoo-whoo-too-whoo_, _to-whoo-ah_; a long-drawn, _whoo-ah_;
rarely a wild scream; and when two individuals meet, a remarkable
medley of hoots and _ha-has_.
Range.--Eastern North America except Gulf Coast; north to Nova Scotia
and Manitoba; west to Colorado; resident, except at northern limit of
range.
=368a. Florida Barred Owl= (_S. v. alleni_). Similar to No. 368, but
smaller, darker; black bars especially on breast, wider; _toes nearly
if not quite bare_.
Range.--Florida; north along coast to South Carolina; west along coast
to Texas.
=368b. Texas Barred Owl= (_S. v. helveolum_). Similar to No. 368 in
color, but with the toes bare as in No. 368a.
Range.--Southern Texas.
[Illustration: 369.]
=369. Spotted Owl= (_Syrnium occidentale_). Resembles No. 368, but has
the head and neck _spotted_ with white; primaries with broad, whitish
tips. _Notes._ Probably similar to those of No. 368. (Bendire.)
Range.--Western United States from southern Colorado and New Mexico,
west to California, south to Lower California and Guanajuato, Mexico.
=369a. Northern Spotted Owl= (_S. o. caurinum_). Similar to No. 369,
but darker; white markings smaller; white spots on head and neck
reduced to minimum; white tips to primaries nearly obsolete.
(Merriam.)
Range.--Western Washington and British Columbia.
[Illustration: 370.]
=370. Great Gray Owl= (_Scotiaptex nebulosa_). L. 27. No ear-tufts;
eyes yellow. _Ads._ Above black finely and _irregularly_ marked with
white; breast _streaked_; feet feathered to toe-nails. _Notes._ Said
to be a tremulous, vibrating sound. (Fisher.)
Range.--North America; breeds north of Lat. 55A deg.; winters south to
northern border of United States casually as far as New Jersey,
Illinois, Minnesota, Idaho, and northern California.
=371. Richardson Owl= (_Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni_). L. 10. _Ads._
Above _grayish_ brown with numerous white _spots_, particularly on
head; feet feathered to toes and usually with indistinct, dusky bars.
_Notes._ A musical, soft whistle. (Wheelright.) A peculiar grating
cry. (Nelson.) (See next page.)
Range.--Northern North America; breeds from Gulf of St. Lawrence and
Manitoba northward; winters south to northern border of United States,
casually to Massachusetts, Iowa, and Colorado; no Pacific coast record
(?).
[Illustration: 371.]
[Illustration: 372.]
=372. Saw-whet Owl; Acadian Owl= (_Nyctala acadica_). L. 8. _Ads._
Above _cinnamon_ brown; forehead with many, hindhead with few
_streaks_; back with white spots; feet and legs less heavily feathered
than in No. 371 and _without_ dusky bars. _Yng._ Breast and back
cinnamon brown with few white markings; belly _rusty buff,
unstreaked_. _Notes._ A frequently repeated whistle; sometimes high,
sometimes low; generally begins slow and ends rapidly; resembles noise
of saw-filing. (Ralph.)
Range.--North America; breeds from mountains of Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts (rarely), northern New York, northern Illinois; and, in
Rocky Mountains, from Mexico northward; winters south to Virginia,
Kansas and central California.
=372a. Northwest Saw-whet Owl= (_N. a. scotA|a_). Similar to No. 372,
but darker both above and below, dark markings everywhere heavier;
flanks, legs and feet more rufescent. (Osgood.)
Range.--Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia.
[Illustration: 379.]
=379. Pygmy Owl= (_Glaucidium gnoma_). L. 7. Top of head _spotted_.
_Ads._ Above grayish brown; spots whitish. _Yng._ No spots on head.
_Notes._ A soft cooing _coohuh_, _coohuh_, repeated a number of times.
(Bendire.)
Range.--"Timbered regions of western North America, from southern
Rocky Mountains in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona," west to
California, Oregon, and Washington, except coast belt, south into
Mexico.
=379a. California Pygmy Owl= (G. g. californicum). Similar to No. 379,
but darker; spots above buff or rusty.
Range.--Humid coast region from Monterey, California, north to British
Columbia.
=379.1. Hoskin Pygmy Owl= (_Glaucidium hoskinsii_). Similar to No.
379a, but smaller and grayer, the forehead and facial disc with more
white, the upperparts less distinctly spotted. (Brewst.)
Range.--Southern Lower California.
[Illustration: 380.]
=380. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl= (_Glaucidium phalA|noides_). L. 7. Top of
head _streaked_. _Ads._ Above varying from grayish brown marked with
whitish to plain reddish brown without marks; below white streaked
with grayish brown or reddish brown. _Yng._ No streaks on head.
_Notes._ A softly whistled _coo_ repeated many times at intervals of
about one second.
Range.--Tropical America; from Brazil north to Mexican border of
United States.
[Illustration: 381.]
=381. Elf Owl= (_Micropallas whitneyi_). L. 6. Smallest of our Owls.
_Ads._ Above grayish brown, head spotted; back barred with rusty;
below mixed rusty, white and grayish. _Notes._ A tremulous _cha-cha_,
_cha-cha_, in different keys, sometimes low, sometimes distinct.
(Bendire.)
Range.--Tableland of Mexico from Puebla north to Mexican border of
United States; Lower California, and (rarely) California.
[Illustration: 373.]
=373. Screech Owl= (_Megascops asio_). L. 9.4; W. 6.4; T. 3. Two color
phases; with ear-tufts; eyes yellow. _Ad._ Gray phase. Above buffy
gray irregularly marked with black; below gray, white, rusty and
black. _Ad._ Red phase. Above bright rusty brown with a few black
streaks; below white streaked with black and barred with rusty brown.
_Yng._ Above gray or rusty _barred_ with black and white; below white
thickly barred with blackish. _Notes._ A frequently repeated
tremulous, wailing whistle; often followed by a slower refrain-like
call; a castanet-like snapping of the mandibles.
Range.--Eastern North America from Florida north to New Brunswick,
Ontario and Minnesota, west to the Great Plains; resident.
=373a. Florida Screech Owl= (_M. a. floridanus_). Smaller than No.
373, W. 6.0; T. 2.8. Two color phases. Similar to those of No. 373,
but averaging darker and more heavily marked below; especially in red
phase.
Range.--Florida, north along coast to South Carolina; west along coast
to Louisiana.
=373b. Texas Screech Owl= (_M. a. mccalli_). Similar to No. 373, but
smaller, W. 6.1; underparts, especially sides of belly, with more
black bars; toes barer. I have seen only a gray phase.
Range.--"From western and southern Texas across east border of
tablelands of Mexico." (Bailey.)
=373c. California Screech Owl= (_M. a. bendirei_). W. 6.6. A gray
color phase only. Resembling No. 373, but somewhat darker above; less
buff about the nape; black streakings more regularly distributed;
underparts much as in No. 373b.
Range.--California and southern Oregon.
[Illustration: 373d.]
=373d. Kennicott Screech Owl= (_M. a. kennicottii_). L. 10; W. 7.25.
_Ads._ Sooty brown prevailing above; blackish markings below nearly if
not fully as wide as white ones; darkest of our Screech Owls.
Range.--Pacific coast from Oregon to Sitka.
[Illustration: 373e.]
=373e. Rocky Mountain Screech Owl= (_M. a. maxwelliA|_). W. 7. Similar
to No. 373f above but paler; pale grayish buff predominating; black
markings throughout much narrower and less numerous than in No. 373g;
palest of our Screech Owls.
Range.--"Foothills and adjacent plains of the east Rocky Mountains
from Colorado north to Montana" (Bendire).
=373f. Mexican Screech Owl= (_M. a. cineraceus_). A gray color phase
only. Similar to No. 373b. but much grayer above; buff markings of No.
373b almost wholly absent; below black bars more numerous and narrower
than in No. 373b.
Range.--"New Mexico, Arizona, Lower California, and western Mexico."
(A.O.U.)
=373g. Aiken Screech Owl= (_M. a. aikeni_). A gray color phase only.
W. 6.5. Similar to 373f, but still grayer; almost no buff above; black
markings wider on head, back, and underparts.
Range.--"Plains, El Paso County, Colorado, south probably to central
New Mexico and northeastern Arizona." (A.O.U.)
=373h. MacFarlane Screech Owl= (_M. a. macfarlanei_). A gray color
phase only. _Ads._ Of the size of _kennicottii_, but with color and
markings of _bendirei_. W. 7.2; T. 3.8. (Brewst.)
Range.--"Eastern Washington and Oregon to western Montana and probably
intermediate regions, and north to the interior of British Columbia."
(Bailey.)
=373.1. Spotted Screech Owl= (_Megascops trichopsis_). L. 7.7. _Ads._
Above mixed black, grayish brown and buff; black prevailing on head;
feathers of foreback with buffy white _spots_ on either side near the
end; below much as in No. 373f.
Range.--Southern Arizona and southward into northern Mexico.
=373.2. Xantus Screech Owl= (_Megascops xantusi_). W. 5.3. _Ad._
[Male]. Above drab, back tinged with pinkish rusty and faintly
vermiculated with reddish brown; breast paler ashy faintly suffused
with pinkish or rusty; belly whitish; underparts finely barred with
reddish brown and streaked with clove-brown. (Brewst.)
Range.--Cape Region of Lower California.
[Illustration: 374.]
=374. Flammulated Screech Owl= (_Megascops flammeola_). L. 7. _Ads._
Ear-tufts small; eye surrounded by rusty, then by gray; crown, nape
and tips of scapulars largely rusty; neck band rusty.
Range.--Mountains of Guatemala north to Colorado (11 specimens, 7 from
Boulder County, Cook), west rarely to California (2 specimens).
=374a. Dwarf Screech Owl= (_M. f. idahoensis_). Similar to No. 374,
but slightly smaller and paler, especially on underparts where ground
color is white and black markings are restricted.
Range.--Idaho, eastern Oregon and California (San Bernardino
Mountains, 3 specimens, Grinnell).
[Illustration: 375.]
=375. Great Horned Owl= (_Bubo virginianus_). [Male], L. 22; W. 15.
_Ads._ Ears conspicuous; the feathers nearly throughout the body rusty
basally; facial disc rich rusty. _Notes._ A loud, low, deep-toned
_whoo_, _hoo-hoo-hoo_, whooo-whooo, variable, but usually on the same
note; rarely a hair-raising scream.
Range.--Eastern North America; north to Labrador, south to Central
America; resident.
=375a. Western Horned Owl= (_B. v. pallescens_). Smaller and paler
than No. 375, W. 13.7; facial disc washed with rusty.
Range.--Western United States, except Pacific coast region, east to
Great Plains; casually Wisconsin and Illinois north to Manitoba and
British Columbia; south to Mexico.
[Illustration: 375b.]
=375b. Arctic Horned Owl= (_B. v. arcticus_). Black and white
prevailing above; bases of feathers light yellowish buff; below black
and white with little or no buffy; facial disc gray.
Range.--Interior of Arctic America, from Rocky Mountains east to
Hudson Bay; breeds north of Lat. 51A deg.; in winter straggles southward to
adjacent border of United States; rarely to Wyoming and Nebraska.
=375c. Dusky Horned Owl= (_B. v. saturatus_). Size of No. 375b, but
much darker; black bars below equalling white ones in width; darkest
bird of group.
Range.--"Pacific coast region from Monterey Bay, California, north to
Alaska; east to Hudson Bay and Labrador." (A.O.U.)
=375d. Pacific Horned Owl= (_B. v. pacificus_). Somewhat smaller than
No. 375b, W. 13.5; more like No. 375 in color but less rusty.
Range.--California, except humid coast region; east to Arizona.
=375e. Dwarf Horned Owl= (_B. v. elachistus_). Similar to No. 375c,
but very much smaller. W. [Male], 12.8; [Female], 13.4. (Brewster.)
Range.--Lower California.
[Illustration: 376.]
=376. Snowy Owl= (_Nyctea nyctea_). L. 25. _Ad._ [Male]. White more or
less barred with blackish. _Ad._ [Female]. Similar, but more heavily
barred.
Range.--Northern parts of northern hemisphere; in America breeds from
Lat. 50A deg. northward; winters south to northern United States; straggles
as far as Texas and California.
[Illustration: 377a.]
=377a. American Hawk Owl= (_Surnia ulula caparoch_). L. 15; T. 7.2
long and _rounded_. _Ads._ Above brownish black, crown thickly
spotted, scapulars conspicuously margined with white; chin blackish;
belly barred. _Notes._ A shrill cry generally uttered while flying.
(Fisher.)
Range.--Northern North America: breeds from Newfoundland and northern
Montana northward; winters south to northern United States, rarely to
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois; rare on Pacific coast.
Order XIII. PAROQUETS AND PARROTS.
PSITTACI.
Family 1. PARROTS and PAROQUETS. PsittacidA|. 2 species.
Parrots are found throughout the warmer parts of the earth. About one
hundred and fifty of the some five hundred known species inhabit
America. The Carolina Paroquet, practically the only member of this
family found in the United States, since the Thick-billed Parrot
barely reaches our border in Arizona, was once an abundant bird in the
Southern States, but it is now restricted to a few localities in
Florida and possibly Indian Territory.
Order XIV. CUCKOOS, TROGONS, KINGFISHERS, Etc.
COCCYGES.
Family 1. CUCKOOS, ANIS, etc. CuculidA|. 5 species 2 subspecies.
Family 2. TROGONS. TrogonidA|. 1 species.
Family 3. KINGFISHERS. AlcedinidA|. 2 species.
The Cuckoos are a group of world-wide distribution, but are more
numerous in the eastern than in the western hemisphere where only
thirty-five of the some one hundred and seventy-five species are
found. The habit of the European Cuckoo in placing its eggs in the
nest of other birds is well known. The American species, however,
build nests of their own though it is true they are far from well made
structures. With the Anis one nest serves for several females who may
deposit as many as thirty eggs, incubation and the care of the young
being subsequently shared by the members of this singular family.
Trogons are found in the tropics of both the Old and New Worlds. They
are quiet, sedentary birds inhabiting forests and feeding largely on
fruit. So far as is known they nest in hollow trees.
Only eight of the one hundred and eighty or more known Kingfishers are
found in America, the remaining species being confined to the Old
World where they are most numerous in the Malay Archipelago.
Parrots and Paroquets
[Illustration: 382.1]
=382.1. Thick-billed Parrot= (_Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha_). L. 16.5.
_Ads._ Forehead, loral region, stripe over eye, bend of wing and
thighs red; greater under wing-coverts yellow; rest of plumage green.
Range--Central Mexico north rarely to southern Arizona.
[Illustration: 382.]
=382. Carolina Paroquet= (_Conurus carolinensis_). L. 12.5 _Ads._
Forehead and cheeks deep orange, rest of head yellow. _Yng._ Forehead
and loral region orange; rest of head green like back; no yellow on
bend of wing. _Notes._ A sharp, rolling _kr-r-r-r-r-r_.
Range.--Formerly eastern United States, north to Maryland, Great
Lakes, and Iowa; west to Colorado, Oklahoma and eastern Texas; now
restricted to southern Florida and parts of Indian Territory.
Cuckoos
=383. Ani= (_Crotophaga ani_). Resembling No. 384 but upper mandible
without grooves. _Notes._ A complaining whistled _oo-eeek_, _oo-eeek_.
Range eastern South America; north to West Indies and Bahamas, rarely
to southern Florida; accidental in Louisiana and Pennsylvania.
[Illustration: 384.]
=384. Groove-billed Ani= (_Crotophaga sulcirostris_). L. 12.5 B. .7
_high_; the upper mandible with ridges and furrows. _Ads._ Blue-black,
many of the feathers with iridescent margins.
Range.--Northwestern South America, north through Mexico to Lower
California and southeastern Texas; casually Arizona, Louisiana and
Florida.
[Illustration: 385.]
=385. Road-runner= (_Geococcyx californianus_). L. 23. Toes two in
front, two behind. _Ads._ Above glossy olive-brown with whitish and
rusty margins, tail much rounded, outer tail-feathers tipped with
white. _Notes._ A soft cooing and a low _chittering_ note produced by
striking the mandibles together. Bendire mentions a note like that of
a hen calling her brood.
Range central Mexico north, rarely to southwestern Kansas, southern
Colorado, and Sacramento Valley, California, rarely to southern
Oregon.
[Illustration: 386.]
=386. Mangrove Cuckoo= (_Coccyzus minor_). L. 13. _Ads._ Underparts
_uniformly_ rich buff; above grayish brown, crown grayer; ear-coverts
black; tail black, outer feathers broadly tipped with white.
Range.--Northern South America, north through Central America, Mexico
and Greater Antilles (except Porto Rico?) to Florida and Louisiana,
migrating south in fall.
=386a. Maynard Cuckoo= (_C. m. maynardi_). Similar to No. 386, but
underparts paler, the throat and forebreast more or less ashy white.
Range.--Bahamas and (eastern?) Florida Keys.
[Illustration: 387.]
=387. Yellow-billed Cuckoo= (_Coccyzus americanus_). L. 12.2. _Ads._
Below white; lower mandible largely yellow, tail black, outer feathers
widely tipped with white. _Notes._ _Tut-tut_, _tut-tut_, _tut-tut_,
_tut-tut_, _cl-uck_, _cl-uck_, _cl-uck_, _cl-uck_, _cl-uck_, _cl-uck_,
_cow_, _cow_, _cow_, _cow_, _cow_, _cow_, usually given in part.
Range.--Eastern North America; breeds from Florida to New Brunswick
and Minnesota; winters in Central and South America.
=387a. California Cuckoo= (_C. a. occidentalis_). Similar to No. 387
but somewhat grayer and larger; the bill slightly longer, 1.05.
Range.--Western North America; north to southern British Columbia;
east to Western Texas; winters south into Mexico.
[Illustration: 388.]
=388. Black-billed Cuckoo= (_Coccyzus erythrophthalmus_). L. 11.8.
_Ads._ White below; bill _black_; tail, seen from below, grayish
_narrowly_ tipped with white; above, especially on crown, browner than
No. 387. _Notes._ Similar to those of No. 387, but softer, the _cow_
notes connected.
Range.--Eastern North America; west to Rocky Mountains; breeds north
to Labrador and Manitoba; winters south of United States to Brazil.
[Illustration: 389.]
=389. Coppery-tailed Trogon= (_Trogon ambiguus_). L. 12. _Ad._ [Male].
Wing-coverts finely vermiculated; tail coppery tipped with black;
outer web and end of outer feathers white, mottled with black. _Ad._
[Female]. Ear-coverts gray; back grayish brown; middle tail-feathers
rusty brown tipped with black; breast brownish; upper belly grayish;
ventral region pink. _Notes._ Resemble those of a hen Turkey.
(Fisher.)
Range.--Southern Mexico north to Lower Rio Grande and Arizona.
[Illustration: 390.]
=390. Belted Kingfisher= (_Ceryle alcyon_). L. 13. _Ad._ [Male].
Breast-band and sides like back. _Ad._ [Female]. Breast-band and sides
rusty. _Notes._ A loud, harsh rattle.
Range.--North America; breeds from Florida, Texas, and California
north to Arctic regions; winters from Virginia, Kansas, and southern
California south to northern South America.
[Illustration: 391.]
=391. Texas Kingfisher= (_Ceryle americana septentrionalis_). L. 8.7.
_Ad._ [Male]. Breast rusty brown; back greenish; a white collar. _Ad._
[Female]. Throat and breast white, sometimes tinged with buffy; a
breast and belly band of greenish spots. _Notes._ When flying, a
sharp, rattling twitter; when perching, a rapid, excited ticking.
Range.--Tropical America, from Panama north to southern Texas.
Order XV. WOODPECKERS.
PICI.
Family 1. WOODPECKERS. PicidA|. 24 species, 22 subspecies.
The some three hundred and fifty known species of Woodpeckers are
distributed throughout the wooded parts of the world, except in
Australia and Madagascar, nearly one half of this number being found
in the New World. Feeding largely upon the eggs and larvA| of insects,
which they can obtain at all seasons, most of the North American
species are not highly migratory but are represented in the more
northern parts of their range at all times of the year.
Woodpeckers nest in holes in trees generally excavated by themselves.
The eggs, four to eight or nine in number, like those of most birds
that lay in covered situations, are pure white. The young are born
naked and are reared in the nest.
In few birds is the close relation between structure and habit more
strikingly illustrated than in the Woodpeckers. Their lengthened toes
placed two before and two behind (except in one genus) and armed with
strong nails enable them readily to grasp the bark of trees up which
they climb. Their stiffened, pointed tail-feathers are also of
assistance to them in retaining their position on tree trunks, serving
as a prop on which they may rest while chiseling out their homes or
laying bare the tunnels of the grubs of wood boring beetles. For this
purpose they use their bill, a marvellously effective tool with which
some of the large Woodpeckers perform astonishing feats. I have seen
an opening made by a Pileated Woodpecker in a white pine tree, twelve
inches long, four inches wide, and eight inches deep, through
perfectly sound wood to reach the larvA| at work in the heart of the
tree. The bill is also used as a musical instrument, the 'song' of
Woodpeckers being a rolling tattoo produced by rapid tappings on some
resonant limb.
As might be supposed the Woodpeckers are great of economic value.
Professor Beal states that at least two-thirds to three-fourths of the
food of our common Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers consists chiefly of
noxious insects.
Woodpeckers
[Illustration: 392.]