Part 11

The adult is slaty blue above; buff below marked with black, and with black cheek-patches. Immature birds are blackish above margined with rusty, below deep rusty buff streaked with blackish. L., male, 16; female, 19.

Range. Northern Hemisphere, breeding south locally to New Jersey and in Alleghanies to South Carolina; winters from New Jersey southward.

Washington, rare and irregular W.V. Ossining, casual. Cambridge, rare T.V., casual in winter, SE. Minn., uncommon S.R., Apl. 4.

As the Peregrine of falconry we know of the Duck Hawk as a fearless, dashing hunter of greater power of wing and talon. It nests in rocky cliffs in April and from its eyrie darts upon passing Pigeons and other birds. It is most often seen following the coast-line during migrations where it takes toll of Ducks and shore-birds. Three to four heavily marked, brownish eggs are laid in April.

PIGEON HAWK

Falco columbarius

A small Hawk, about the size of a Sparrow Hawk. The adult is slaty blue above, with a rusty collar and a barred, white-tipped tail; below buff, streaked with blackish. Young birds have the upperparts blackish brown. L. 11.

Range. Breeds north of, and winters chiefly south of the United States. Migrates northward in April and May, and southward in September and October.

Washington, not uncommon T.V. Ossining, tolerably common T.V., Apl. 1-May 11; Aug. 10-Oct. 15. Cambridge, common T.V., Apl. 25-May 5; Sept. 25-Oct. 20; occasional in winter. N. Ohio, rare P.R. Glen Ellyn, regular but rare T.V., Apl. 26-May 5; Sept. 1-Oct. 16. SE. Minn., Apl. 13.

We know this Hawk as a not common migrant generally seen in open places and along the shores. It feeds chiefly on small birds.

SPARROW HAWK

Falco sparverius sparverius. Case 1, Figs. 7, 8; Case 3, Figs. 5, 6

The male has the tail with only one bar; the breast unmarked; the abdomen with black spots; while the female has the tail with several bars, the underparts streaked with brownish. In both sexes the bright reddish brown of the upperparts, black markings about the head, and small size are gold field characters. L. 10.

Range. Sparrow Hawks are found throughout the greater part of the Western Hemisphere. Our eastern race inhabits the region east of the Rockies and is migratory at the northern limit of its range. Southern Florida specimens are slightly smaller and darker and are known as the Florida Sparrow Hawk (F. s. paulus).

Washington, common W.V., rare S.R. Ossining, rather rare P.R. Cambridge, P.R., common in summer, rare in winter. N. Ohio, common P.R. Glen Ellyn, rather rare S.R., Mch. 10-Oct. 26.

The Sparrow Hawk is one of our commonest and most familiar Hawks. He is a handsome little Falcon, and though his prey is chiefly humble grasshoppers, he captures them in a sportsmanlike manner by "waiting on" or hovering on rapidly beating wings over his game and dropping on it with deadly aim. His call is a high, rapidly repeated Killy-killy-killy. The three to seven eggs, finely marked with reddish brown, are laid in a hollow limb or similar situation in April.

AUDUBON'S CARACARA

Polyborus cheriway cheriway

A falcon-like Vulture with a bare face, black cap, white throat, breast and nape; the rest of the plumage is black, the tail barred with white. L. 22.

Range. Mexican border and southward; south central Florida.

In the eastern United States the Caracara is found only in the Kissimmee prairie region of southern Florida where its presence, so far from others of its kind, furnishes one of the problems in distribution which stimulate the imagination of the faunal naturalist.

OSPREYS. FAMILY PANDIONIDÆ

OSPREY

Pandion haliætus carolinensis. Case 3, Fig. 14

The Osprey or Fish Hawk is often miscalled 'Eagle,' but it is a smaller bird with white, instead of blackish underparts. L. 23.

Range. The Osprey is found throughout the greater part of the world; the American form occurs in both North and South America and winters from the southern United States southward, starting northward in March.

Washington, uncommon S.R., Mch. 19-Nov. 30. Ossining, common T.V., rare S.R., Apl. 3-May 26; Sept. 29-Oct. 20. Cambridge, rather common T.V., Apl.-May; Sept.-Oct. N. Ohio, rare S.R., Apl. 20-Oct. Glen Ellyn, two records, May and Sept.

The Osprey, or Fish Hawk, feeds on fish and nothing but fish. He is, therefore, never found far from his fishing grounds, where no one who has seen him plunge for his prey and rise with it from the water will doubt his ability to supply his wants. Ospreys usually nest in trees at varying distances from the ground, but sometimes on cliffs or even on the ground itself, and return year after year to the same nest. The Osprey's alarm note is a high, loud, complaining whistle, frequently repeated. The eggs are laid in late April and early May. They are usually four in number, buffy white, heavily marked with chocolate.