Part 9

The eyrie of the Snake Buzzard is built about June; it is flat in shape, and formed of branches and twigs; the interior is lined with green leaves, and green branches are also fastened outside to protect the little family from the rays of the sun. It is not uncommon for a pair of these birds to return year after year to the same eyrie. They lay one or two eggs of an oval shape, with very thin, coarse shells, of a blueish white colour. Both parents participate in the labour of incubation, sitting alternately upon the eggs for about twenty-eight days. We are told, on reliable authority, that, if molested, the mother bird removes her young to another place. The Snake Buzzard is easily tamed if taken early from the nest.

* * * * *

The CRESTED BUZZARDS (_Spilornis_) are a group of very remarkable birds, inhabiting the most southern countries of Asia and Africa. Such species as we are acquainted with are of considerable size, and powerfully built; their pointed wings, in which the fourth quill is the longest, extend to the middle of the tail; the latter is of moderate length, and rounded at the extremity; the tarsus is high, and the talons short and sharp; the beak, which is straight at the base, curves abruptly towards its tip; the margin of the upper mandible is without teeth, whilst that of the lower one is excised near the extremity. The plumage is thick, and prolonged into a crest at the back of the head.

THE BACHA.

The BACHA (_Spilornis Bacha_), the species we select as an example of this group, is described by Le Vaillant as from twenty-two to twenty-four inches long, of which ten belong to the tail. The plumage is a dusky greyish brown, darkest upon the upper parts of the body; all the feathers upon the borders of the wings, lower portion of the breast, belly, and legs are marked with three or four round, white spots, standing out, by contrast, very distinctly from the dark body; the wings are blackish brown, and the feathers upon their covers bordered with greyish white; the crest is white, tipped with black, as are also the feathers on the brow. The eye is brownish red, the cere and feet yellow, and the beak greyish blue.

The Bacha is found throughout the interior of Southern Africa, Java, Nepaul, and China. According to Le Vaillant, it frequents the most barren and mountainous districts of the countries it inhabits, subsisting upon a variety of small quadrupeds, reptiles, and insects. It passes a solitary life, after the manner of our Buzzard, and is but rarely met with. The voice of this species is very melancholy. The breeding season commences in December; the eyrie, which is most carelessly constructed, is placed in holes of rocks, and usually contains from two to three eggs. Bernstein tells us that such of these birds as inhabit Java live upon the outskirts of the woods, or amongst the groups of trees growing near the villages. In such localities the nest is also built, a thickly-foliaged tree being usually selected for the purpose. The same author describes the eggs as being of a dull white, marked with irregular streaks and spots of reddish brown, which usually lie thickest towards the two ends.

* * * * *

Other species of Crested Buzzards are met with in the Philippine Islands, Ceylon, and India.

THE HONEY BUZZARD.

The HONEY BUZZARD, or WASP KITE (_Pernis apivorus_) may be regarded as forming the connecting link between the Buzzards and True Kites. In this bird the body, wings, tail, and beak are long, the latter, moreover, is shallow, weak, and but slightly curved towards its tip; the third quill of the wings exceeds the others in length, and the cheek-stripes are covered with short, stiff feathers; the plumage of this species is also harsher, and lies closer than that of the Buzzards above described. Its length is from twenty-three to twenty-four inches, its breadth fifty-two to fifty-four inches; the wing measures fifteen, and the tail nine inches. The plumage varies very considerably, both in its colour and markings, and it is, therefore, difficult to make any decided statements on these points. The male is sometimes of an uniform brown, the tail alone being adorned with three large and several small stripes; the head is greyish blue; sometimes, however, we find the upper parts of the body brown, and the lower spotted more or less with white; or the feathers on these portions white, with brown spots and streaks upon the shafts. The young are usually brown or yellowish brown, the feathers having dark shafts, except those on the nape, which are light. The eye is either golden, or of a silvery whiteness; the beak is black, the cere bright yellow, and the feet lemon colour.

The Honey Buzzard inhabits all the southern and central countries of Southern Europe, and during the course of its migrations frequently journeys as far as Western Africa. In disposition it is cowardly, dull, and indolent; its movements have been described in such contradictory terms, that we can scarcely imagine them to be applied to the same species; according, however, to our own observations, its flight is light and beautiful, it can rise to a great height, and describes an endless variety of evolutions in the air; like most of its congeners, it runs well, and often pursues its prey upon the ground. Its voice is monotonous, and its call-note sometimes prolonged for whole minutes at a time. The food of this species differs from that of any other Bird of Prey, for it lives principally upon wasp-grubs, very carefully avoiding such as are full-grown, and, therefore, protected by their sting. It also devours beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, frogs, mice, and rats; and will frequently linger near a Hawk until the latter has finished its meal, in the hope of securing what is left. During the summer it occasionally eats various kinds of berries.

The eyrie is usually placed at no great height, upon the branches of some sturdy beech or oak; pines and fir-trees being but rarely resorted to. The nest, which the bird is at no pains to conceal, is carelessly constructed of dry twigs, so lightly thrown together that the brood is often visible through its walls. The eggs, from two to four in number, are sometimes round, sometimes oval; the shell is more or less smooth, and either yellowish red or brownish white, marbled with lines of different tints, which, like the colour, are so very variable that any description of them would be useless. The young are reared upon caterpillars, flies, and other insects, with which they are supplied from the crops of the parent birds; at a later period they are fed upon honeycombs, filled with bee-grubs, also upon frogs, birds, and other substantial diet.

Behrends relates the following facts to prove how tame the Honey Buzzard may become: "My bird," he says, "before it had been many weeks in the house, learnt to attach itself not only to certain individuals of the family, but to my dogs, towards one of the latter, in particular, it exhibited great affection, following it about, and perching close to it whilst it slept. This bird was allowed to run at large about the house, and never found a door standing open without calling loudly until it was shut. It answered to the name of 'Jack,' but would only come at my call when hungry, or in a particularly good humour. I have seen it spring on to a lady's lap or shoulder, and play with her hair by drawing a lock through its beak, at the same time uttering a piping kind of cry; it would also raise its wing in order to be scratched, a performance that it much enjoyed. When hungry it used to rush screaming through the house until it found my maid, upon whose dress it clambered in its energetic endeavours to have its wants attended to. If not immediately satisfied its cries became frightful, and it would assume a very pugnacious attitude, as though it would say, 'You had better be careful how you trifle with me.' Bread and milk was the diet it preferred, but it would eat meat, porridge, and potatoes; wasps it merely killed, without eating them. 'Jack' was extremely susceptible to cold, and would hide near the stove during the winter, remaining very quiet, as he knew well that his presence in our sitting-room was against rules. His general demeanour somewhat resembled that of a Crow, his movements were slow and deliberate, and it was only when alarmed or pursued that he sought safety by taking a series of short jumps. I only succeeded in keeping him for three years."

THE CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD.

The CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD (_Pernis cristatus_) is found throughout the whole of Hindostan, where it inhabits all woodland districts, from the coast to an altitude of 8,000 feet above the sea. This species, which is very closely allied to the bird above described, subsists, like its European congener, upon young bees, wasps, ants, and caterpillars; only occasionally devouring rats, reptiles, and (as we learn from the natives) young birds and eggs. The eyrie is built upon trees; the eggs are of a light colour, and thickly covered with spots.

THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD.

The ROUGH-LEGGED or WINTER BUZZARD (_Archibuteo lagopus_) is distinguished from all its congeners by having its tarsi feathered, like those of the Eagle. The beak of this species is small and narrow, very decidedly curved, and furnished with a long hook; the wings, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, extend, when closed, to the end of the long and rounded tail. The plumage is lax, its feathers for the most part large, those upon the head and nape being small, and rounded at the tip; the brow is white, the tips of the wings are dark slate colour, the tail white, its grey tip striped with black; the breast of the male and belly of the female are spotted with blackish brown; the hose are reddish yellow or whitish grey, similarly marked. The coloration of the feathers upon the other parts of the body is a strange mixture of all these different tints. The length of this bird is from twenty-two to twenty-five inches. The female is larger than her mate. The Rough-legged Buzzard is found throughout all the northern countries of the globe, proving itself everywhere to be a very formidable enemy to the Lemming. The eyrie is built upon rocks as well as trees. This bird is sometimes met with in England, where it has been killed once or oftener in almost every county; it has, however, rarely been known to breed here, and is usually obtained in spring or autumn, when changing its latitude from north to south, or _vice versâ_.

Sir John Richardson, in his "Zoology of North America," tells us "that this species advances east of the Rocky Mountains, as high as the sixty-eighth parallel. It arrives in the fur countries in April or May, and, having reared its young, retires southward early in October. It is by no means an uncommon bird in the districts through which he travelled, but, being very shy, only one specimen was procured. A pair were seen building their nests with sticks on a lofty tree, standing on a low, moist, alluvial point of land. They sailed round the spot in a wide circle, occasionally settling on the top of a tree, but were too wary to allow an approach within gun shot." In the softness and fulness of its plumage, its feathered legs, and habits, this bird bears some resemblance to an Owl. It flies slowly, sits for a long time on the bough of a tree, watching for mice, frogs, &c., and is often seen skimming over swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its prey by the subdued daylight which illuminates even the midnight hours in high latitudes. Wilson observes that in Pennsylvania it is in the habit of coursing over the meadows long after the sun has set. It is fitted for this nocturnal chase by the fleeciness of its feathers, which contributes to render its flight noiseless."

THE COMMON BUZZARD.

The COMMON or MOUSE BUZZARD (_Buteo vulgaris_) is distinguished by its small, narrow, hooked beak, and bare tarsi; its tail is comparatively short, and its plumage less lax than that of the above-mentioned species, which, in other respects, it closely resembles. Its length is from twenty-two to twenty-five inches, its breadth from fifty to fifty-eight inches; the tail measures about nine inches. The coloration of the plumage varies so much in different individuals as to render a general description almost impossible--indeed, no two birds are alike.

The Mouse Buzzards are met with throughout a large part of Europe and Central Asia, appearing in the southern portions of our continent during the winter, and living solitarily in the vicinity of lofty mountains during the summer months. They are rarely seen in Northern Africa, or in the lower parts of India, but are common in certain districts of the Himalayas. In some of the warm countries of Europe they remain throughout the entire year; in such as are more northern, they arrive about March or April, and leave again in September. When about to migrate, these birds congregate in parties of from twenty to a hundred, and as the flocks usually proceed in the same course when quitting us, without actually assembling in large hosts, they often fly so as to spread their numbers over a square mile of country. At such times their flight is slow, and varied by the performance of many elegant evolutions, sweeping about in circles for half-an-hour at a time; and, as they return northwards, they often linger for whole days upon spots likely to afford them a plentiful supply of food. When about to settle, they generally select such localities as are well covered with trees, and in the vicinity of fields or pasture lands, these situations being rich in such game as they prefer; they are, however, found in large forests, and sometimes ascend to a great height in mountain ranges.

The movements of this Buzzard are characterised by a slowness and clumsiness that render it almost unmistakable, either as it soars slowly aloft, or sits, with body huddled together and ruffled plumage, upon the branch of a tree, from whence it watches with keen eyes, for the appearance of its prey. During the breeding season and early spring, however, these birds exhibit an activity for which we are quite unprepared, and soar to prodigious heights, displaying their skill in a variety of aërial manœuvres, apparently for the amusement of their mates. The voice of the Common Buzzard very closely resembles the mewing of a cat; its sight is excellent, its hearing delicate, and the other senses very well developed; its disposition is intelligent, keen, and sly. The eyrie is built, or an old one repaired, about May. This structure is placed upon a tree, and carefully formed of branches, such as are thickest being placed beneath the others; the interior is lined with very fine twigs, moss, hair, and other soft materials. The nest is about two feet in diameter. The brood consists of three or four greenish white eggs, spotted with light brown; the female alone sits, but at a later period both parents co-operate in tending the little family. This species occasionally takes possession of the nests of Crows or Ravens, instead of building on its own account.

Rats, marmots, snakes, and insects are greedily devoured by the Mouse Buzzard, yet, as its name indicates, _mice_ constitute its favourite diet--indeed, so large is the number eaten by this bird, that, according to Lenz, a family of five consumes no less than 50,000 of these destructive animals in the course of a year. We will not attempt to include the next generation in this calculation, or our readers would be involved in a sum as intricate as that with which we are all familiar, respecting the nails in a horse-shoe; if, however, we take into account that the Mouse Buzzard attacks and kills all kinds of snakes, whether poisonous or not, we shall be able in some measure to estimate the very valuable services it renders to the human race. The generally-received impression that this species is proof against the venom of serpents is incorrect, as has been proved in a variety of instances.

THE RED-WINGED OR GRASSHOPPER BUZZARD.

The RED-WINGED or GRASSHOPPER BUZZARD (_Poliornis rufipennis_) is a small lively bird, inhabiting Central Africa. This species is recognisable by its long, powerful, but slightly curved beak, and over-hanging cere. Its pointed wings, in which the fourth quill is the longest, reach almost to the end of the long tail; the legs are high, and the toes small; the brow white, the mantle brownish grey, the head, nape, and lower portions of the body reddish yellow; the feathers upon the back have dark shafts and light borders, those on the under part of the body are marked with dark streaks; the tail is deep grey, edged with white, and darkly striped towards its tip. The quills are reddish brown, lightest in shade upon the inner web, tipped with black, and having a white border. The cere, bare cheek-stripes, and feet are bright yellow; the beak is deep orange at its base and greyish black at the tip. The length of the male is fourteen inches and a quarter; the wing measures eleven, and the tail six inches and three-quarters.

The Grasshopper Buzzard makes its appearance upon the plains of Central Africa about the rainy season, during which period it finds abundance of food, and after lingering for some time, quits that part of the continent for still warmer regions. In its habits this bird is half Falcon and half Buzzard; like the latter it perches for hours together upon the branches of a tree, surveying the surrounding country, and watching for prey; then, suddenly rising, it flies, with rapid strokes of its wings, to a considerable distance, and, after hovering for a few seconds, swoops down, and pounces upon the grasshopper it has marked for its own. We are without further particulars of the life of this bird.

THE TESA.

The TESA (_Poliornis Tesa_), the Indian representative of the species above described, is found throughout Hindostan, where it is very numerous both upon pasture land and on open plains. The flight of this Buzzard is rapid, and much resembles that of the Kestrel. When upon the wing it usually keeps near the ground, over which it often runs for some yards, in order to secure its prey, and few prettier sights can be imagined than that presented by this bird as it thus half runs, half flies, in pursuit of the grasshoppers, upon which it mainly subsists; it will also eagerly devour rats, mice, lizards and small snakes, frogs, cray-fish, crabs, and large insects. Burgess tells us he saw a Tesa picking the remains of a full-grown Quail. The eyrie is built upon a tree; the eggs, four in number, are laid about April or May; these are sometimes quite white, or white spotted and marked with brown.

* * * * *

South America possesses a group of Buzzards, distinguished from the birds already described, by the formation of their beak, which is usually thin and shallow. The members of this group are also more slender, and have smaller heads and longer wings than the rest of the family; their wings, in which the fourth quill is the longest, are narrow, very pointed, and extend beyond the end of the long and broad tail; the latter is either graduated or excised at its extremity. Their legs are weak, and the tarsi bare; the toes are long, and armed with long, slender, and slightly bent talons.

THE CARACOLERO.

The CARACOLERO, SNAIL BUZZARD, or HOOK-BEAKED BUZZARD (_Rostrhamus hamatus_), is one of the members of this group with which we are most familiar. Its length is from sixteen to seventeen inches, and its breadth from forty to forty-two inches; the wing measures from thirteen to thirteen and a half, and the tail from six to six and a half inches. The plumage is of an uniform dark grey, shaded with pale brown upon the back and shoulders; the narrow feathers that clothe the legs are edged with red, the upper tail-covers are white at the base, and bordered with white. The eye is bright blood red, the cere, cheek-stripes, corners of the mouth, half the under mandible, and the legs bright orange; the beak is black. The coloration of the young is very varied, and differs considerably from that of the parent birds.

According to D'Orbigny, the Snail Buzzards are found throughout the whole of South America, where they frequent the margins of lakes and morasses, in large numbers. In their habits they are social, keeping together in parties of about thirty birds; indeed, it is by no means uncommon to see a dozen or more perched on the same tree. When in flight they summon each other with loud cries, and all are constantly upon the watch to detect and warn their companions against approaching danger. Their flight is light, graceful, and rapid, and their attitudes, when perching upon a tree, extremely dignified. Except during the breeding season (respecting which we have no information), they sweep over the face of the country, seldom remaining for any length of time in one place. The food of this species consists of snails, reptiles, fish, and insects. Grundlach tells us that upon one occasion he saw a great number of nests built upon the trees that surrounded a large pond, and was told that they were those of the Caracolero; the young had already quitted the eyries, though it was then only April.

THE URUBITINGA.

The URUBITINGA (_Hypomorphnus Urubitinga_) is one of the largest Buzzards with which we are acquainted. Its beak is comparatively short, high, and straight towards the base, but from thence it curves downwards in a long hook; the head is large, the wings, in which the third quill is longer than the fourth and fifth, are of moderate size; the tail is very long, and composed of broad feathers. The feet are remarkably high, the tarsi being twice the length of the middle toe; the talons are strong, pointed, and much bent. The plumage is rich in texture. The cheeks, region of the eyes, bridles, and throat are sparsely covered with a bristle-like growth; the eyelids have very well developed eyelashes. The length of this species is about twenty-two inches, and its breadth fifty-one inches; the wing measures fifteen and a half, and the tail nine inches; the female is larger than her mate. In old birds the plumage is principally brownish black; the feathers on the nape are white at their origin, and those on the back gleam with a greyish blue lustre, whilst such as clothe the inner side of the legs are marked with small light streaks. The wings are blackish brown adorned with narrow greyish blue lines; the tail-feathers are blackish brown at the root and tip, white in the middle, and surrounded by a narrow dirty white border. The eye is brownish yellow, the cere and base of the lower mandible yellow, the upper part of the beak greyish black, the feet light yellow. The young are yellow or brownish yellow; the feathers upon the hinder parts have blackish brown spots at their tips, and the wings and tail-feathers are striped with yellow and brown.