An Australian Bird Book Part 24

=174 White-headed Osprey=, Fish Hawk, _Pandion leucocephalus_, Mol., N.G., A., T. =vt. cos. bird.

Stat. r. _sh.o.r.es_ 23

Crown, hind-neck, throat, abdomen, under tail white; upper dark-brown; chest mottled brown; side-neck dark-brown, marked white; wing-quills black; dives; f., sim. Fish.

==== [Page 84]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [174] [175] [176] [177] [178]]

Just as the Diurnal Birds of Prey (e.g., Hawks) are closely related to those of the Northern Hemisphere, so are the Nocturnal Birds of Prey (Owls) very closely related to those of the Old World. The different kinds of Owls are so closely similar that there are many disputes as to their cla.s.sification, and it is not likely that we shall ever be able to recognize in the living, free state all the species recognized by scientists.

Indeed, I was much interested at the Adelaide Museum to see our leading ornithologists fail to pick out the skins of two English Barn Owls when they were placed with three Australian Lesser Masked Owls, and yet ornithologists give our birds such widely-different names that literature is useless to us. These names have seriously hampered the popularization of bird-study in Australia. If ornithologists, with skins in hand, cannot separate them, what is the use of manufacturing species?

As Owls are active late in the afternoon or at night, there has always been a certain amount of mystery regarding them, and, speaking generally, the ordinary observer knows little of them. Two of the Australian birds have forced themselves on our notice to some extent.

The Powerful Owl, the largest of our Owls, has alarmed many by means of its blood-curdling screeches heard in quiet forest gullies.

The b.o.o.book Owl, though not often seen, calls "Mopoke," which sounded like "b.o.o.book" to the aboriginal ear, but became "Cuckoo"--the best-loved bird-call of their far-distant home to the ears of the homesick first white residents. And was it not, they asked, what one might expect in a country where Christmas came at the wrong time of the year, where the trees were always green, and shed their bark instead of their leaves--where the leaves grew vertically, instead of horizontally, and so gave no shade--was it not natural that the Cuckoo, a day bird in England, should become a night bird in this land of paradoxes and contradictions? Thus Australia's reputation was added to even by the b.o.o.book Owl.

Confusion was caused, for, when daylight came, and the Frogmouth was seen sitting in the tree, the Frogmouth was supposed to be responsible for the frequent calls of the previous night. However, some reliable observers, notably Mr. C. H. McLennan, "Mallee Bird," and Mr. T. H.

Tregellas, claim that the Frogmouth does call "Mopoke'" occasionally, but the b.o.o.book Owl is the bird that is responsible for the frequent "Mopoke" on calm evenings.

The Owls are divided into two families. The members of the first family--the Owls Proper, or Hawk-Owls--have the facial disc almost absent, while in the second family the facial disc is complete. In each, the eyes are directly obliquely forward, and, since they are not capable of much movement, the bird turns its head from side to side.

Though mainly nocturnal, Owls are sometimes seen hunting for their prey by day. As they feed mostly on mice, rats, and insects, they are very valuable birds. The feathers are very soft, with a weak central axis, so that no sound is made when flying. They are thus able to approach their prey without giving warning. The Powerful Owl well deserves its name, as it possesses great strength, and is a formidable enemy if wounded. However, Owls are, fortunately, seldom shot at.

Like Hawks, Owls catch their prey with and carry it in their feet, unless the feet are required for climbing. One peculiarity of the feet is that the bird can reverse one toe, so that it can have three toes in front and one behind, like most birds, or two in front and two behind, like Parrots and Cuckoos.

Although not so strong of flight as the Diurnal Birds of Prey (_e.g._, Hawks), Owls have managed to spread throughout the world, so that they are found even in New Zealand. The different kinds are not easily separated, so most people are satisfied when they have cla.s.sed a bird as an Owl, though you will probably want to divide them into two groups--the Owls Proper and the Barn Owls.

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ORDER XVI--STRIGIFORMES, NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY, OWLS.

F. 70. BUBONIDAE (11) HAWK OWLS, 280 sp.--47(44)A., 88(74)O., 33(17)P., 48(42)E., 34(16)Nc, 75(61)Nl.

11 44

=175 b.o.o.book Owl= (Cuckoo), _Ninox b.o.o.book_, A.

Stat. v.c. _timber_ 16

Head, upper, wings, tail reddish-brown; under rufous blotched white; facial disc indistinct, grayish-white edged black; f., larger. Insects, mice, birds.

=176 Spotted Owl=, _N. maculata_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., T., King Is.

Stat. r. _timber_ 13

Head, upper brown spotted white; under brown blotched tawny and white; disc indistinct; f., slightly larger. Insects, birds.

=177 Winking Owl= (Western), _N. connivens_, A., exc. N.W.A.

Stat. c. _brushes_, _wooded gullies_ 16

Upper dark-brown spotted white; tail dark-brown barred grayish-white; under mottled brown, white; disc indistinct; f., larger. Insects, birds.

=178 Powerful Owl= (Eagle), _N. strenua_, N. Ter., E.A., S.A.

Stat. r. _dense gullies_ 24

Crown, upper brown marked whitish; face, throat, chest whitish streaked brown; rest of under whitish barred brown; f., sim.

Birds, quadrupeds.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: [179] [180] [181] [182] [183]]

F. 71. STRIGIDAE (5), BARN OWLS, 26 sp.--13(11)A., 3(1)O., 1(0)P., 4(3)E., 1(1)Nc., 7(7)Nl.

5 26

=179 Australian Barn Owl= (Lesser Masked, Delicate, Screech), _Strix delicatula_, N.G., A.

[~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. c. _timber_ 14

Upper beautiful soft light grayish-brown tinged yellow, finely spotted blackish-brown and white; under white, few small brownish spots; disc white edged buff; f., sim. Mice, rats.

[Page 87]

=180 Masked Owl=, _S. novae-hollandiae_, A.

[~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. r. _forests_, _rocky_ 14

Pale buff; head, back wings marked dark-brown, few white spots; under paler, few brown spots; disc purplish-white, edged with deep-brown spots; f., larger. Mice, rats.

=181 Chestnut-faced Owl=, _S. castanops_, N.S.W., V., S.A., T.

[~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. c. _brushes_, _swamps_; f., 17; m., 14.5

Disc deep-chestnut edged black; upper rufous-brown marked dark-brown; few small spots on head, shoulders; under deep sandy-brown with blackish spots; f., larger. Mice, rats.

=182 Sooty Owl=, Dusky Barn Owl, _S. tenebricosa_, N.G., E.A.

[~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. v.r. _dense brushes_; f., 16; m., 13.5