1. Athene hypugœa. (Bonap.) The Burrowing Owl. Strix hypugœa. Bonap., Am. Orn., I. p. 72. (1825.) Athene socialis. Gambel, Proc. Acad., Philada., III. p. 47. (1846.)
Bonap., Am. Orn., I, pl. 7, fig. 2. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 432, fig. 1. Oct. ed., pl. 31?
Small; head moderate; tarsi long; slender, thinly covered in front only with hair-like feathers; naked and scaled laterally and behind; toes with a few scattered hairs; claws curved, rather slender. Adult. Entire upper parts light yellowish-brown, every feather more or less spotted with white, and on the neck behind, and back, with large partially concealed spots of white; throat white, a narrow band of mottled brown and white on the neck before, succeeded by a large patch of white; other under parts white, with wide transverse bands of reddish-brown, varying in shade in different specimens; legs and under tail-coverts white; quills light brown, with yellowish-white spots on their outer edges, and reddish-white bands on their inner webs; tail pale brown, with about six irregular bands of yellowish-white; face yellowish-white; bill light yellow and horn-color; irides yellow. Young. Entire plumage much darker than the adult, and with transverse narrow bands and lines of dark brown.
Dimensions. Male.—Total length, 9 to 10 inches; wing, 7; tail, 4 inches. Female.—Larger.
Hab. Western North America. Oregon (Dr. Townsend); Nebraska (Dr. Suckley); Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico (Col. McCall); Great Salt Lake (Capt. Stansbury); California (Dr. Heermann); Mexico (Lieut. Couch). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city.
Obs. This curious Owl is very abundant in some localities in Western America, where it lives in communities in burrows in the ground. It is nearly related to several South American species, especially to Athene cunicularia, which is a native of the western countries of that portion of this continent.
We have doubts that fig. 1 of Mr. Audubon’s plate 432 represents this bird, but think it probable that it represents one of the South American species, which fig. 2 of the same plate clearly does. Dr. Townsend’s collection, specimens from which were figured by Mr. Audubon, contained birds of Chili and Peru, as well as of North America, from which circumstance the error may have occurred.
II. GENUS GLAUCIDIUM. Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 970.
Size small; head moderate, without ear-tufts; wings moderate, fourth quill usually longest; tail rather long; tarsi fully feathered; facial disc obsolete; bill short, strong, rather wide at base; claws long, curved, very sharp. This genus contains a few species, amongst which are the smallest birds of this family.
1. Glaucidium infuscatum. (Temm.) The pigmy Owl. Strix infuscata. Temm., Man. d’Orn., I. p. 97. (1820.) Glaucidium gnoma. Wagler, Isis, XXV. p. 275. (1832.) “Strix passerinoides. Temm.” Aud., Orn. Biog., V. p. 271; Oct. ed., I. p. 117.
Aud., B. of Am., pl. 432, fig. 4, 5; Oct. ed., I. pl. 30.
Very small, the smallest Owl yet discovered in North America; head moderate; outer three quills sinuated on their inner edges, fourth quill longest; tail rather long; tarsi densely feathered; toes partially covered with long hairs. Adult. Entire upper parts brownish-olive, on the head with numerous circular spots of dull white; a partially concealed white band around the neck behind, succeeded by another of black; scapulars and superior coverts of the wings with white spots; throat white; a narrow band of mottled brownish-olive across the neck before; other under parts white, with longitudinal stripes of dark olive-brown on the flanks and abdomen; quills dark brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large circular spots of the same on their inner webs; tail dark brown, with five or six pairs of circular or oval spots of white on every feather, larger on the inner webs; bill light yellowish; irides yellow.
Dimensions. Total length, 6½ to 7 inches; wing, 3¾; tail, 3 inches.
Hab. Oregon (Dr. Townsend); California (Mr. Bell, Dr. Heermann.)
Obs. This minute species of Owl is exclusively Western, having as yet only been noticed in California. It much resembles the European Glaucidium passerinum, and is about the same size. The most readily detected differences are the nearly naked toes of the present bird, and the absence of the decided reddish tinge which prevails in the color of the European species. It also resembles G. passerinoides of South America, but differs also from that species in color and other particulars.
This is the least of the species of Owls inhabiting North America, and has never been observed east of the Rocky Mountains. It lives on insects.