Gerald J.A. 1992 Shotted Owl Ciccara nigata Batoncrom Tract, Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Guadalupe County Park / near SW Guengaro Hidalgo St., Texas April 25 About 10:30, crossing a well-wooded shallow drainage I had pre- viously traversed, a small owl popped up from the depths of a thicket of mostly leafless limbs and settled for about 10 seconds on one of these limbs about five feet above ground level, facing directly toward me. I froze, facing directly to owl, perched 25 feet away. I drew a blank on the bird's identification. An earless owl with dark eyes, streaked brown, brought Barred Owl to mind, but this was quickly discounted because of the obvious small size. The bird began turning its head about 7 seconds after I first saw it, to the right, and flew off to its right and then away from me, quickly putting several tree trunks between us as it flew about 8-10 ft above the ground. I looked at the bird with binoculars only after it turned its head, not while we stared at each other. This was a bird that seemed larger than a Screech-Owl and much smaller than a Barred Owl, but no birds could be compared directly for size. The shape was large-headed and stocky bodied, but the tail was resting on another limb and not seen until in flight. The bird lacked ears and was mostly brown, contrasting with white circumfacial bordering of the facial discs. The white border appeared weakest or perhaps incomplete in the superior-lateral portions. Above the bills between the eyes crossed a whitish "X", not so golden (contrastly) as the facial disc margin. The facial discs were light to light-soft streaked with white sinuous from around dark brown eyes. The remainder of the head was medium brown. The bill was a sort of neutral color, not standing out as dark or light, but I didn't see it well. The upper breast and belly were mostly whitish, streaked with brown, more heavily streaked on the sides of the breast. An incomplete (weakly complete) brown band crossed the mid-to-lower breast. I recall