Color Key to North American Birds Part 38

[Ill.u.s.tration: 347a.]

=347a. American Rough-legged Hawk= (_Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis_). B. .7 deep, _smaller_ than in No. 348. L. [Male], 21; [Female], 23. Legs feathered to the toes. _Ads._ Basal half of tail white, end half barred with black; belly with more or less black.

_Yng._ No black bars on end half of tail; buffier below, more black on belly. Black phase. Black more or less varied with brown and rusty as it approaches light plumage of ad. or yng; but to be known by feathered legs.

Range.--North America; breeds north of United States; winters south to Virginia, Missouri and central California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 348.]

=348. Ferruginous Rough-Leg= (_Archibuteo ferrugineus_). B. 1. deep, larger than in No. 347a; L. [Male], 22; [Female], 24. Legs feathered to toes. _Ads._ Above rich rusty streaked with black; legs rusty barred with black; tail grayish sometimes washed with rusty. _Yng._ Above blackish brown margined with rusty; below white; breast with a few streaks; legs _spotted_; tail with inner webs and base white; outer webs grayish. Dark phase. Sooty brown more or less varied with rusty; _tail as in ad_.

Range.--"Western North America from the Plains (east North Dakota to Texas), west to the Pacific and from the Saskatchewan region south into Mexico; casually east to Illinois. Breeds from Utah, Colorado and Kansas north to the Saskatchewan Plains." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 355.]

=355. Prairie Falcon= (_Falco mexica.n.u.s_). L. [Male], 17; [Female], 20. A blackish patch on the sides. _Ad._ [Male]. Above including middle tail feathers, grayish brown; back with more or less concealed buffy bars. _Ad._ [Female]. No buffy bars on back. _Yng._ Above margined with rusty and whitish; head much as in ad. _Notes._ _Kee_, _kee_, _kee_ and a sort of cackle. (Bendire.)

Range.--"United States from the eastern border of the Plains to the Pacific and from the Dakotas south into Mexico; casual east to Illinois. Breeds throughout its United States range." (A.O.U.)

Eagles and Gyrfalcons

[Ill.u.s.tration: 349.]

=349. Golden Eagle= (_Aquila chrysaetos_). L. [Male], 30-35; [Female], 35-40; Ex. [Male], 78-84; [Female], 84-90. (Ridgw.) Legs feathered to toes. _Ads._ Back of head and nape paler than body; basal two-thirds of tail white. _Yng._ Base of tail with broken grayish bars. _Notes._ A shrill, _kee-kee-kee_, and, when alarmed, _kiah-kiah_ repeated a number of times. (Bendire.)

Range--Northern parts of northern hemisphere; in America south into Mexico; rare east of Mississippi, more common in Rocky Mountains and mountains of Pacific coast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 352.]

=352. Bald Eagle= (_Haliaeetus leucocephalus_). L. [Male], 33; [Female] 35; Ex. [Male], 84; [Female], 89. Legs _not_ feathered to toes. _Ads._ Head, neck and tail white. _Yng._ Head and body blackish, more or less varied with white; tail blackish mottled with white.

_Notes._ Of the male, a loud, clear _cac cac-cac_; of the female harsh and broken. (Ralph.)

Range.--North America breeding locally throughout its range, more frequently near the Atlantic coast; resident in United States.

=352a. Alaska Bald Eagle= (_H. l. alasca.n.u.s_). Similar to No. 352, but larger. W. [Male], 23.8; [Female], 24.6; T. [Male], 11.5; [Female], 12; Tar. [Male], 4.1; [Female], 3.7. (Townsend.)

Range.--Alaska.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 353.]

=353. White Gyrfalcon= (_Falco islandus_). L. [Male], 22; [Female], 24. Tarsus feathered in front nearly to toes; only outer primary notched. Under tail coverts _pure_ white. _Ads._ Below white with few or no black markings. _Yng._ Dark areas above larger, below with elongate blackish spots.

Range.--Arctic regions, in America south in winter casually to Maine.

=354. Gray Gyrfalcon= (_Falco rusticolus_). L. [Male], 22; [Female], 24. Tarsus feathered in front nearly to toes; only outer primary notched. Under tail coverts _with_ dusky margins. _Ads._ Crown usually more white than dusky; above _barred_ with blackish and grayish; below white, breast streaked; sides and legs barred with dusky. _Yng._ Above dark brown with broken buffy bars and margins: tail with white and brown bars of nearly equal width, below white everywhere streaked with blackish.

Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to the northern border of the United States; casually as far as Kansas and Maine.

=354a. Gyrfalcon= (_F. r. gyrfalco_). Similar to No. 354, but head usually with more dusky than white; back in ad. indistinctly barred with grayish. _Yng._ With dark stripes of lower parts usually about equal in width to white inters.p.a.ces.

Range.--"Northern Europe and Arctic America, from northern Labrador and coasts of Hudson Bay to Alaska" (Ridgw.); south in winter casually, to northern border of United States as far as Long Island.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 354b.]

=354b. Black Gyrfalcon= (_F. r. obsoletus_). Similar to No. 354, but much darker; above plain dusky with few or no buffy markings; below dusky margined with buffy, the former prevailing. _Notes._ A chattering _ke-a_, _ke-a_, _ke-a_, blending into a rattling scream.

(Turner.)

Range.--Labrador: south in winter to northern New England; casually to Long Island.

Hawks

[Ill.u.s.tration: 356.]

=356. Duck Hawk= (_Falco peregrinus anatum_). L. [Male], 16; [Female], 19. Sides of throat black. _Ads._ Above bluish slate; below buffy.

_Yng._ Above blackish margined with rusty; tail with broken rusty bars and whitish tip; below _deep_ rusty buff streaked with blackish; under surface of wing uniformly barred. _Notes._ Loud screams and noisy cacklings. (Bendire.)

Range.--Western Hemisphere; breeds locally from Southern States to Arctic regions; winters from Northern States southward; more common west of Rocky Mountains.

=356a. Peale Falcon= (_F. p. pealei_). _Ads._ Crown uniform with back; chest heavily spotted with blackish; bars of remaining underparts very broad. (Ridgw.)

Range.--"Pacific coast region of North America from Oregon to the Aleutian and Commander Islands, breeding throughout its range." (A. O.

U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 357.]

=357. Pigeon Hawk= (_Falco columbarius_). L. [Male], 10.5; [Female], 13. Two outer primaries notched. _Ad._ [Male]. Above slaty blue; middle tail feather with not more than _four_ black bands. _Ad._ [Female] and _Yng._ Above dark blackish brown; bars in middle tail feather five or less; below more heavily barred than in [Male].

Range.--North America; breeds chiefly north of United States from Rocky Mountains and westward; breeds from Colorado and California north to Alaska; winters from Gulf States, Colorado and California, south to northern South America.

=357a. Black Merlin= (_F. c. suckleyi_). Similar to No. 357, but much darker above and more heavily, marked below; bars on tail and under side of wing nearly obsolete.

Range.--Pacific coast from northern California to Sitka; east to eastern Oregon and Washington.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 358.]

=358. Richardson Merlin= (_Falco richardsonii_). Resembles No. 357, but is paler and has the central tail feather crossed by six light bars, counting the terminal one.

Range.--Interior of North America from eastern border of Great Plains west; rare west of Rockies; north to, at least, lat.i.tude 53; south to Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 359.]

=359. Aplomado Falcon= (_Falco fusco-caerulescens_). L. [Male], 16; [Female], 17.5. Middle of belly black. _Ads._ Above slaty gray; breast buff, lower belly rusty. _Yng._ Similar but grayish brown above, belly paler.