The Bird Book Part 41

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale greenish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Everglade Kite.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 203

[Ill.u.s.tration 205: NEST AND EGGS OF MARSH HAWK.]

Page 204

331. MARSH HAWK. _Circus hudsonius._

Range.--Whole of North America, very abundant in all sections.

The adult of this species is very light colored, and young birds of the first two years have a reddish brown coloration; in both plumages the species is easily identified by the white patch on the rump. They are, almost exclusively frequenters of fields and marshes, where they can most often be seen, towards dusk, swooping in broad curves near the ground, watching for field mice, which form the larger portion of their diet. Their nests are made in swampy ground, often in the middle of a large marsh, being placed on the ground in the centre of a hummock or clump of gra.s.s; it is generally well lined with gra.s.ses and often rushes. They lay from four to seven pale bluish white eggs, generally unmarked; size 1.80 1.40.

332. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. _Accipiter velox._

Range.--Whole of North America, wintering in the United States and southward; breeds throughout its range, but most abundantly in northern United States and northward. This is one of the smallest of the hawks and in the adult plumage is a beautiful species, being barred below with light brown, and having a bluish slate back. It is a very spirited and daring bird and is one of the most destructive to small birds and young chickens. Its nest is a rude and sometimes very frail platform of twigs and leaves placed against the trunk of the tree at any height, but averaging, perhaps, fifteen feet. The eggs are bluish white, beautifully blotched and spotted with shades of brown.

[Ill.u.s.tration 206: (Adult and young). Marsh Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sharp-shinned Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 205

333. COOPER'S HAWK. _Accipiter cooperi._

Range.--Whole of temperate North America, breeding throughout its range.

Although larger (length 17 inches), the plumage of this species is almost exactly the same as that of the preceding. Like the last, this is also a destructive species. They construct their nests in the crotches of trees, generally at quite a height from the ground; the nest is made of sticks and twigs, and often lined with pieces of bark; occasionally an old Hawk's or Crow's nest is used by the birds. Their eggs are bluish white, unmarked or faintly spotted with pale brown.

334. GOSHAWK. _Astur atricapillus atricapillus._

Range.--Northern North America, south in winter to the northern parts of the United States.

This species is one of the largest, strongest and most audacious of American Hawks, frequently carrying off Grouse and poultry, the latter often in the presence of the owner. It is a handsome species in the adult plumage, with bluish gray upper parts, and light under parts, finely vermiculated with grayish and black shafts to the feathers.

Length 23 inches. Their nests are placed well up in the tallest trees, usually in dense woods, the nests being of sticks lined with weeds and bark. The three or four eggs are bluish white, generally unmarked, but occasionally with faint spots of brown. Size 2.30 x 1.70.

[Ill.u.s.tration 207: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cooper's Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: American Goshawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 206

[Ill.u.s.tration 208: Geo. L. Fordyce.

NEST AND EGGS OF COOPER'S HAWK.]

Page 207

334a. WESTERN GOSHAWK. _Astur atricapillus striatulus._

Range.--Western North America from Alaska to California, breeding chiefly north of the United States except in some of the higher ranges of the Pacific coast. This sub-species is darker, both above and below, than the American Goshawk. Its nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same. The eggs are quite variable in size.

335. HARRIS'S HAWK. _Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi._

Range.--Mexico and Central America, north to the Mexican border of the United States; very abundant in southern Texas.

This is a peculiar blackish species, with white rump, and chestnut shoulders and thighs. It is commonly met with in company with Caracaras, Turkey Buzzards and Black Vultures, feeding upon carrion. They also feed to an extent on small mammals and birds. Their nests are made of sticks, twigs and weeds, and placed in bushes or low trees. The three or four eggs are laid in April or May. They are dull white in color and generally unmarked, although often showing traces of pale brown spots.

They are quite variable in size, averaging 2.10 x 1.65.

[Ill.u.s.tration 209: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Harris's Hawk.]

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 208

337. RED-TAILED HAWK. _Buteo borealis borealis_.

This is one of the handsomest of the larger hawks, and is the best known in the east, where it is commonly, but wrongly, designated as "hen hawk", a name, however, which is indiscriminately applied to any bird that has talons and a hooked beak. The adult of this species is unmistakable because of its reddish brown tail; young birds are very frequently confounded with other species. Their food consists chiefly of small rodents, snakes and lizards, and only occasionally are poultry or birds taken. They nest in the tallest trees in large patches of woods, the nests being made of sticks, weeds, leaves and trash. The eggs number from two to four, and are white, sometimes heavily, and sometimes sparingly, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown. Size 2.35 x 1.80.

337a. KRIDER'S HAWK. _Buteo borealis krideri_.

Range.--Plains of the United States, north to Manitoba.

This sub-species is described as lighter on the underparts, which are almost immaculate. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the preceding.

337b. WESTERN RED-TAIL. _Buteo borealis calurus_.

Range.--Western North America, chiefly west of the Rocky Mountains.

This sub-species varies from the plumage of the eastern Red-tail, to a nearly uniform sooty above and below, with the dark red tail crossed by several bands; it is a generally darker variety than the Red-tail. Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs show the great variations in markings that are common to the eastern bird.

[Ill.u.s.tration 210: Red-tailed Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale bluish white.]

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 209