V. SUB-FAMILY NYCTEININÆ. THE DAY OWLS.
Head moderate, without ear-tufts; wings rather long, wide; tail rather long, ample; tarsi strong, and with the toes densely covered with hair-like feathers; claws strong, sharp; plumage very thick and compact. This sub-family includes only the two species now about to be described, both of which are common to the Arctic regions of America, Europe, and Asia, migrating southward in the winter. They are the least nocturnal of all the birds of this family.
I. GENUS NYCTEA. Stephens, Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., XIII. p. 62. (1826.)
Size large; head large, without ear-tufts; no facial disc; bill short, very strong, nearly concealed by projecting feathers; wings long, wide, third quill longest; tail moderate or rather long, broad; legs short, and with the toes densely covered with feathers, almost concealing the claws, which are long, curved, and strong; general form compact and robust, and thickly feathered. This genus contains only the species described below.
Nyctea nivea. (Daudin.) The Snowy Owl. The White Owl. Strix nivea. Daudin, Traité d’Orn., II. p. 190. (1800.) Strix nyctea. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 132. (1766.) Strix candida. Lath., Ind. Orn., Supp., p. 14. (1801.) Strix erminea. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 251. (1809.) Strix arctica. Bartram, Trav., p. 289 (1791, but not of Sparrman, 1789.)
Large; eyes large; bill nearly concealed by projecting feathers; tarsi and toes densely covered with hair-like feathers, nearly concealing the claws. Adult. Entire plumage white, in some specimens with a few spots only on the upper parts of dark brown, and on the under parts with a few irregular transverse bars of the same; quills and tail with a few spots or traces of bands of dark brown. In other specimens every feather except on the face and neck before, is distinctly banded transversely with brown, and in some specimens that color predominates on the upper parts; quills and tail with regular transverse bands of dark brown; plumage of the legs and feet pure white; bill and claws dark horn-color; irides yellow.
Dimensions. Female.—Total length, 24 to 26 inches; wing, 17; tail, 10 inches. Male, smaller.
Hab. Northern North America. Northern Europe and Asia. Greenland (Prof. Holboll); Hudson’s Bay (Mr. Hearne); Canada (Dr. Hall); Vermont (Mr. Thompson); Oregon (Dr. Townsend); Kamschatka (Pallas); Ohio (Prof. Kirtland); South Carolina, Kentucky (Audubon); Bermuda (Sir W. Jardine). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This large and handsome Owl is abundant in the Arctic regions of America, and has been observed at the highest northern latitude yet reached by voyagers. In the winter, it migrates southward over the greater part of Asia, Europe, and North America. It is to be met with every winter in the Northern and Middle States of the Union, though greatly varying in numbers in different years. We have known it to be so abundant in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as to be brought commonly by the farmers to the market in Philadelphia, and sold for a trifle.
According to Dr. Hall, this fine species breeds in the vicinity of Montreal, making its nest on the ground. Mr. Audubon’s plate represents this bird unusually dark.
II. GENUS SURNIA. Dumeril, Zoologie Analytique, p. 34. (1806).
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.