A TH E N E ? CONNIYENS .
Winking Owl.
Falco connivens, Lath. Ind. Om. Supp., p. xii.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. vii. p. 186.
Winking Falcon, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 63 lb. Gen. Hist., vol. i. p. 221.
Athene ? fortis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 141 j and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part III.
Goora-a-gang, Aborigines of New South Wales.
Wool-loo-gle, Aborigines of the mountain district of Western Australia.
T he range o f this fine Owl appears to extend over the whole of the southern coast o f Australia. I have
received it from Swan R iver and from nearly every p art of New South Wales ; specimens from these distant
localities differ a little in their plumage ; those obtained in Western Australia being rather lighter in colour,
and having the markings less clear and defined than those from New South Wales. There is no difference
in the plumage o f the sexes, but the female is somewhat the largest in size.
Brushes, wooded gulleys, and the sides o f creeks are its favourite places of r e s o r t; it is consequently
not so restricted in the localities it chooses as the Athene strenua, which I have never known to leave the
brushes. I t sallies forth early in the evening, and even flies with perfect use of vision during the midday
sun, when roused and driven from the trees upon which it has been sleeping. I have frequently
observed it in the day-time among the thick branches o f the Casuarinas which border the creeks.
I t will be seen, on reference to the synonyms, that I described this bird in the “ Proceedings o f the
Zoological Society,” and figured it in my “ Synopsis” under the specific name o f fo r tis ; but I have since
ascertained, through the kindness o f the E arl of Derby in affording me the use and inspection o f the three
volumes o f drawings of Australian Birds, formerly in the possession o f the late A. B. Lambert, Esq., th at it
is identical with the Winking Falcon o f Latham ; any seeming inattention on my p art in describing an apparently
new Owl without consulting that author will I hope be readily excused, as few ornithologists would
think o f looking for the description of this bird under the genus Falco.
Face and throat greyish w h ite ; crown o f the head and all the upper surface dark brown, tinged with
purple ; scapularies, secondaries and greater wing-coverts spotted with w h ite ; primaries alternately barred
with dark and greyish brown, the light marks on the outer edges approaching to white ; tail dark brown,
transversely barred with six or seven lines o f greyish white, the extreme tips of all the feathers terminating
with the same ; the whole of the under surface mottled brown and white, the latter occupying the outer
edges o f the feathers ; tarsi clothed to the toes, and mottled brown and fawn-colour; irides bright yellow;
cere yellowish olive; bill light yellowish horn-colour; toes long, yellow, and covered with fine hairs.
The figure is about four-fifths o f the natural size.