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Delicate Owl.

Stria delicatulus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV., 1836, p. 140; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part III.
Yon-ja, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Australia.

 

Tus is the least of the Australian Owls belonging to that section of the group to which the generic term
of Sériv has been restricted ; it is also the one most generally distributed. I observed it in almost every
part of New South Wales that I visited; it is a common bird in South Australia, and I have also seen
specimens of it from Port Essington. It has not yet been found in the colony of Swan River, nor can
it be included in the fauna of Van Diemen’s Land. Although good specific differences are found to exist,
it is very nearly allied to the Barn Owl (S¢ti2 flammea) of our own island, and, as might be naturally
expected, the habits, actions and general economy of the two species are as similar as is their outward
appearance : mice and other small mammals, which are very numerous, are preyed upon as its natural
food. To attempt a description of its noiseless flight, its mode of capturing its prey, or of its general habits,
would be merely to repeat what has been so often and so ably written relative to the Barn Owl of Europe.

Although the plumage of youth and that of maturity do not differ so widely in this species as in the other
Australian members of the genus, the fully adult bird may always be distinguished by the spotless and snowy
whiteness of the breast, and by the lighter colouring of the upper surface.

Facial disc white, margined with buff; upper surface light greyish brown tinged with yellow, very
thickly and delicately pencilled with spots of brownish black and white ; wings pale buff lightly barred
brown, marked along the outer edge and extremities with zigzag pencillings of the same, each
minal spot of white ; tail resembles the primaries, except that the terminal white spot
+ feathers are almost white; under surface white, sparingly marked about the chest
feet yellowish.

with pale
primary having a ter
is indistinct, and the oute
and flanks with small brownish dots ; legs and thighs white ; bill horn-colour ;

The figure is of the natural size.

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