Strix acadica, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 149.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 38.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. i. p. 97.
Strix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 65.
Acadian Owl, Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 149.
Little Owl, Strix passerina, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 61. pl. 34. fig. 2.
Adult Male. Plate CXCIX. Fig. 1.
Bill short, compressed, curved, acute, with a cere at the base; upper mandible with its dorsal outline curved from the base, the edges acute, the point trigonal, very acute, deflected; lower mandible with the edges acute and inflected, obtuse at the tip. Nostrils oval in the fore part of the cere. Head disproportionately large, as are the eyes and external ears, the former, however, less so than in the larger Owls. Body short. Legs of ordinary length; tarsus and toes feathered, the latter bare towards the end; toes papillar and tuberculate beneath; claws curved, rounded, long, extremely sharp.
Plumage very soft and downy, somewhat distinct above, tufty and loose beneath. Long bristly feathers at the base of the bill, stretching forwards. Eyes surrounded by circles of compact feathers; auricular coverts forming a ruff. Wings rather short, broad, rounded, the fourth quill longest, the first short. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill bluish-black, yellowish at the base. Iris light yellow. Claws bluish-black. The upper parts generally are of an olivaceous brown; the scapulars and some of the wing-coverts spotted with white; the first six primary quills obliquely barred with white; the tail darker than the back, with two narrow white bars. The upper part of the head is streaked with greyish-white, the feathers surrounding the eyes pale yellowish-grey, the ruff white, and spotted with dusky. The under parts are whitish, the sides and breast marked with broad elongated patches of brownish-red.
Length 7½ inches; extent of wings 17; bill 7⁄12; tarsus 1.
Adult Female. Plate CXCIX. Fig. 2.