STRIX DELICATULUS, Gould.
Delicate Owl.
Strix ielicahUm, 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.
T h i s is the least o f the Australian Owls belonging to that section of the group to which the generic term
o f Strix has heen restric ted ; it is also the one most generally distributed. I observed it m almost every
p a rt o f New South Wales th at I visited; it is a common bird in South Australia, and I have also seen
specimens of it from P o rt Essington. I t has not yet heen found in the colony of Swan Kiver, 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 Bam Owl {Strix Jbmmed) of our own island, and, as might be naturally
expected, the habits, actions and general economy o f 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 o f its general habits,
would be merely to repeat what has been so often and so ably written relative to the Barn Owl o f 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 o f the breast, and by the lighter colouring o f the upper surface.
Facial disc white, margined with buff; upper surface light greyish brown tinged with yellow, very
thickly and delicately pencilled with spots o f brownish black and w h ite ; wings pale buff lightly barred
with pale brown, marked along the outer edge and extremities with zigzag pencillings of the same, each
primary having a terminal spot o f white ; tail resembles the primaries, except th at the terminal white spot
is indistinct, and the outer feathers are almost white; under surface white, sparingly m arked about the chest
and flanks with small brownish dots ; legs and thighs white ; bill horn-colour; feet yellowish.
The figure is of the natural size.