Macfarlane Screech Owl in Harney County, Oregon
MacFarlane Screech Owl in Harney County, Oregon
A female MacFarlane Screech Owl (Otus asio macfarlanei) was taken by a local trapper in a steel trap set for mink near Ruby Spring on McCoy Creek in the Steens Mountains, Hamey County, Oregon, on December 13, 1940. The bird was given to John C. Scharff of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, who had it preserved as a study skin. This is the first record of the occurrence of macfarhei in Harney County coming to the writer’s attention. The specimen is typical of the race as compared with specimens from other parts of eastern Oregon. Ruby Spring in the Steens Mountains is at about 4500 feet altitude, which is considerably higher than other localities where this bird has previously been taken in Oregon. The present specimen is being preserved in the bird reference collection at the Malheur Refuge.
Stanley G. Jewett
Portland, Oregon, January 2, 194l
