A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. John James Audubon
Читать онлайн книгу.
oblique, oblong. Conch of extreme size; extending from the level of the forehead over the eye to the chin in a semilunar form, with an anterior semicircular flap in its whole length, the aperture large, of a rhomboidal form. Feet of moderate length, and stout; tarsi short, feathered, as are the toes; the first shortest, the second and fourth nearly equal; claws long, curved in the fourth of a circle, extremely acute, the first and second rounded beneath. Plumage extremely soft and downy, facial disks complete, ruff distinct. Two small tufts of elongated feathers on the head. Wings long and broad; the second quill longest; the outer in its whole length, the second toward the end, and the first alular feather, with the filaments disunited and recurved at the ends. Tail rather short, a little rounded.
37. 1. Otus vulgaris, Fleming. Common Eared-Owl.—Long-eared Owl.
Tufts elongated; general colour of plumage buff, mottled and spotted with brown and greyish-white; dirty whitish anteriorly, with the tips black, posteriorly reddish-white; ruff mottled with red and black; upper part of head minutely mottled with whitish, brownish-black, and light red; the tufts light reddish toward the base, brownish-black in the centre toward the end, the inner edge white, dotted with dark brown; upper parts buff, variegated with brown and whitish-grey, minutely mottled or undulatingly barred; first row of coverts tipped with white; quills and scapulars pale grey barred with dark brown, the primaries buff toward the base externally. Tail with ten bars on the middle and eight on the outer feathers; lower parts with more buff and fewer spots than the upper, each feather with a long dark brown streak, and several irregular transverse bars; legs and toes pure buff.
Male, 141/2, 38. Female, 16, 40.
From Maryland eastward, and Kentucky westward to the Missouri. Rather rare. Resident.
Long-eared Owl, Strix Otus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 52.
Strix Otus, Bonap. Syn. p. 37.
Long-eared Owl, Strix Otus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 130.
Long-eared Owl, Strix Otus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 573.
38. 2. Otus brachyotus, Linn. Short-tufted Eared-Owl.—Short-Eared Owl.
Tufts inconspicuous, general colour of plumage buff variegated with dark brown; eye surrounded by a ring of brownish-black, much broader behind; anterior half of disk white, with the tips black, posterior yellowish; anterior auricular ruff white, posterior yellowish, each feather with an oblong dark brown spot; upper parts buff, longitudinally streaked with dark brown; scapulars and wing-coverts spotted and banded in large patches, many with a large yellowish-white spot on the outer web near the end; quills buff, with two or three dark brown bands; tail similar, with five broad dark bands, the tip yellowish-white; on the middle feathers, the light-coloured spaces have a brown central patch; lower parts pale buff, whitish behind, the neck with oblong, the breast and sides with linear dark brown streaks; chin, feet, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts unspotted.
Male, 15, 40. Female, 17, 45.
From Texas eastward. Columbia River. Common. Migratory.
Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iv. p. 64.
Strix brachyotos, Bonap. Syn. p. 37.
Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 132.
Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 273.
GENUS VI. BUBO, Cuvier. HORNED-OWL.
Bill short, stout, broader than high at the base, compressed toward the end; upper mandible with its dorsal line curved from the base, the edges with a slight festoon, the tip trigonal, very acute; lower mandible with the dorsal line convex, the tip obliquely truncate. Nostrils broadly elliptical, aperture of ear elliptical, less than half the height of the head, without operculum. Feet of ordinary length; tarsi and toes feathered. Plumage full and very soft; facial disks complete; a tuft of elongated feathers on each side of the crown of the head. Wings ample, the first quill short, the fourth longest. Tail of ordinary length, rounded.
39. 1. Bubo Virginianus, Gmel. Virginian Horned-Owl.—Great Horned-Owl.
Plate LXI. Male and Female.
Upper part of the head brownish-black, mottled with light brown, the tufts of the same colour, margined with brown; face brownish-red, with a circle of blackish-brown; upper parts undulatingly banded and minutely mottled with brownish-black and yellowish-red, behind tinged with grey; wings and tail light brownish-yellow, barred and mottled with blackish-brown and light brownish-red; chin white; upper part of throat light reddish, spotted with black, a band of white across the middle of fore neck; its lower part and the breast light yellowish-red, barred with deep brown, as are the lower parts generally; several longitudinal brownish-black patches on the lower fore neck; tarsal feathers light yellowish-red, obscurely barred.
Male, 23, 56. Female, 25, 60.
From Texas northward. Resident. Not rare in the south.
Great Horned-Owl, Strix Virginiana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 52.
Strix Virginiana, Bonap. Syn. p. 37.
Great Horned-Owl or Cat Owl, Strix Virginiana, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 124.
Great Horned-Owl, Strix Virginiana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 313; v. v. p. 393.
40. 2. Bubo Asio, Linn. Mottled Horned-Owl.
Plate XCVII. Adult and Young.
Adult with the upper parts pale brown, spotted and dotted with brownish-black; a pale grey line from the base of the upper mandible over each eye; quills light brownish-grey, barred with brownish-black, their coverts dark brown, secondary coverts with the tip white; throat yellowish-grey, lower parts light grey, patched and sprinkled with brownish-black; tail-feathers tinged with red. Young with the upper parts light brownish-red, each feather with a central blackish-brown line; tail and quills barred with dull brown; a line over the eye, and the tips of the secondary coverts reddish-white; breast and sides light yellowish-grey, spotted and lined with brownish-black and bright reddish-brown, the rest of the lower parts yellowish-grey, the tarsal feathers pale yellowish-red.
Male, 10, 22. Female, 10, 23.
From Texas eastward. Columbia River. Resident. Abundant.
Mottled Owl, Strix nævia, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 16. Adult.
Red Owl, Strix Asio, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. v. p. 83. Young.
Mottled and Red Owl, Strix Asio, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 120.
Little Screech Owl, Strix Asio, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 486; v. v. p. 392.
FAMILY VI CAPRIMULGINÆ. GOATSUCKERS.
Mouth opening to beneath the centre of the eyes; bill much depressed, generally feeble, the horny part being small; upper mandible with the tip somewhat decurved. Nostrils elliptical, prominent, marginate. Eyes extremely large. Aperture of ear elliptical, very large. Head of extreme breadth, depressed; body very slender. Feet very small; tarsus partially feathered, scaly; anterior toes webbed at the base; hind toe small, and versatile, all scutellate above; claw of third toe generally elongated, with the inner margin thin and pectinate. Plumage very soft and blended. Wings very long, the second and third quills longest. Tail long, of ten feathers. Œsophagus rather wide, without crop; stomach very large, roundish, its muscular coat very thin, and composed of a single series of strong fasciculi; epithelium very hard, with longitudinal rugæ; intestine short and wide; cœca large, oblong, narrow at the base; cloaca globular. Trachea of nearly uniform width, without inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, or in hollow trees. Eggs generally two. Young covered with down. Very nearly allied in some respects to the Owls.
GENUS I. CAPRIMULGUS, Linn. GOATSUCKER.
Bill feeble, gape extending to beneath the posterior angle of the eye. Nostrils elliptical, prominent. Wings long, pointed, the second quill longest; tail long. Claw of middle toe pectinate. Along the base of the bill on each side, a series of feathers having very strong shafts, terminating in an elastic filamentous point, and with the barbs or lateral filaments extremely slender,