Field Guide to Owls of California and the West PDF
Preview Field Guide to Owls of California and the West
Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page i CALIFORNIA NATURAL HISTORY GUIDES FIELD GUIDE TO OWLS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page ii California Natural History Guides Phyllis M. Faber and Bruce M. Pavlik, General Editors Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page iii Field Guide to OWLS of California and the West Hans Peeters Illustrations and photos by Hans Peeters UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page iv For my wife and my sons. University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. California Natural History Guide Series No. 93 University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2007 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Peeters, Hans J., 1937–. Field guide to owls of California and the West / Hans Peeters. p. cm. — (California natural history guides ; 93) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-520-24741-3 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-520-25280-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Owls—California. 2. Owls—West (U.S.) I. Title. QL696.S8P44 2007 598.9'7—dc22 2007005383 Manufactured in China 10 09 08 07 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper). Cover: Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus). Painting by Hans Peeters. Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page v The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions to this book provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Fund in Environmental Studies and the General Endowment Fund of the University of California Press Foundation. Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page vi vi Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page vii CONTENTS Preface xi INTRODUCTION 1 What Is an Owl? 2 Owls in California and the West 5 AN OWL’S BODY 11 An Owl’s Head 12 Senses 17 Vision 17 Hearing 23 Touch 25 Voice 26 Skeleton and Legs 28 Wings 32 Feathers 35 Silent Flight 35 Thermoregulation 38 Plumage 39 Hygiene 41 Parasites 46 Deconstructing a Mouse 46 Digestive System 46 Pellet Analysis 49 Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page viii AN OWL’S LIFE 53 Predators and Predator Avoidance 54 Predators of Owls 54 Going Undetected 56 Mobbing 59 Defensive Behavior 63 Hunting and Eating 65 Feeding 69 Owl Foods 71 Owl Ecology 72 Reproduction 79 Territoriality 79 Pair Formation and Courtship 80 Nests and Eggs 83 Young and Their Care 87 Dispersal and Migration 91 FINDING AND WATCHING OWLS 95 Finding Owls 96 When to Look for Owls 96 Where to Look for Owls 97 Direct Evidence: Songs, Calls, and Deceptions 100 Circumstantial Evidence 104 Finding Owl Nests 112 Watching Owls 115 Owl Photography 117 Owl Identification 118 OWLS AND HUMANS 123 Attitudes Past and Present 124 Native Californians and Owls 126 Owls in the Modern World 128 The Barn Owl Industries 130 Owl Conservation 134 Owls in Trouble 134 Hazards to All Owls 144 Peeters-0 6/15/07 9:17 AM Page ix Living with Owls 148 Nest Boxes 149 Wildlife Rehabilitation 153 SPECIES ACCOUNTS 157 Overview 158 Identification Key 159 Range Maps 161 Barn Owl 162 Flammulated Owl 169 Western Screech-Owl 174 Eastern Screech-Owl 180 Whiskered Screech-Owl 184 Great Horned Owl 188 Snowy Owl 195 Northern Hawk Owl 200 Northern Pygmy-Owl 204 Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 213 Elf Owl 217 Burrowing Owl 221 Spotted Owl 229 Barred Owl 235 Great Gray Owl 240 Long-eared Owl 247 Short-eared Owl 253 Boreal Owl 261 Northern Saw-whet Owl 265 Glossary 275 References 281 Index 305 Additional Captions 324 Plates follow page 194
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