Part 11

Fortunately, it is those Owls which are most common in settled regions which are of most value to man. Thus, our little Screech Owl feeds chiefly on mice and insects. Only one of the two hundred and fifty-five stomachs examined by Dr. Fisher contained the remains of poultry while mice were found in ninety-one and insects in one hundred. Of the Short-eared or Marsh Owl, seventy-seven out of one hundred and one stomachs contained mice remains, and the same injurious little rodents were found in eighty-four out of one hundred and seven stomachs of the Long-eared Owl.

The bones and hair of the small mammals eaten by Owls are rolled into oblong pellets in the stomach and are ejected at the mouth. These pellets may often be found in large numbers beneath the roosts in which Owls pass the day. In 200 such castings of the Barn Owl Dr. Fisher found the remains of 454 small mammals of which no less than 225 were meadow mice.

Hawks build large-bulky nests of sticks placing them usually well up in large trees, and lay, as a rule, four eggs which are generally whitish, blotched with brown. The Marsh Hawk is an exception. Its nest built largely of grasses, is placed on the ground in marshes and the eggs, often numbering six and rarely eight, are bluish white unmarked.

The Owls nest in holes in trees or banks, or, in some instances, an old Hawk or Crow nest may be occupied. The eggs usually number three to five and are always pure white.

Vultures and Osprey

=324. California Vulture= (_Gymnogyps californianus_). L. 44-55; Ex. 8 1-2 to nearly 11 feet. (Ridgw.) _Ads._ Head and neck orange, blue, and red, unfeathered; feathers around neck and on underparts narrow and stiffened; greater wing-coverts tipped with white; _under wing-coverts white_.

Range.--"Coast ranges of southern California from Monterey Bay, south to Lower California and east to Arizona" (Bailey). Recorded from Burrard Inlet, British Columbia (Fannin).

=325. Turkey Vulture; Turkey Buzzard= (_Cathartes aura_). L. 30; T. 11. _Ads._ Head and neck _red_ unfeathered; brownish black; no white in plumage; bill whitish. _Notes._ A low hissing sound when disturbed.

Range--Western Hemisphere from central and northeast New Jersey, central Illinois, northern Minnesota, the Saskatchewan region and British Columbia, south to Patagonia; winters from southern New Jersey, southern Illinois and southern California southward.

=326. Black Vulture; Carrion Crow= (_Catharista urubu_). L. 24. T. 8. _Ads._ Head and neck unfeathered, black, plumage black; _under surface of wings silvery_. _Notes._ A low grunting sound when disturbed.

Range.--Tropical America, north, as a resident to North Carolina, southern Illinois and southern Kansas; west to the Plains, south to northern South America, strays as far north as Maine and South Dakota.

=364. American Osprey; Fish Hawk= (_Pandion haliaëtus carolinensis_). L. 23. Nape white; feet large; no bars on primaries. _Ad._ [Male]. Below white with few or no spots on breast. _Ad._ [Female]. Similar, but breast with numerous grayish brown spots and streaks. _Notes._ Loud, plaintive, whistles.

Range.--America; breeds from Florida, Texas and Lower California, north to Labrador, Great Slave Lake and northern Alaska; winters from South Carolina and Lower Mississippi Valley to northern South America.

Kites and Marsh Hawks

=327. Swallow-tailed Kite= (_Elanoides forficatus_). L. 24. _Ads._ Back purplish black, wings and tail blue-black. _Notes._ A shrill, keen, _e-e-e_ or _we-we-we_. (Bendire.)

Range.--Middle America; summers north to Virginia, central Illinois, northern Minnesota, Manitoba and Dakota; west to central Kansas, rarely to Colorado; winters in Central and South America.

=328. White-tailed Kite= (_Elanus leucurus_). L. 15.5. _Ads._ Shoulders black; back and middle tail-feathers ashy gray; rest of tail-feathers, forehead and underparts white. _Yng._ Upperparts with rusty. _Notes._ A plaintive, musical whistle. (Barlow.)

Range.--Middle America north to South Carolina, southern Illinois, Indian Territory, western Texas, Arizona and central California; south to Argentine Republic; rare east of the the Mississippi.

=329. Mississippi Kite= (_Ictinia mississippiensis_). L. 14. _Ads._ Head, ends of secondaries, and underparts bluish gray; back bluish slate; tail black without bars. _Yng._ Head streaked black and white; back blackish, tipped with rusty; tail with three or four broken white bars; underparts buffy, streaked with rusty and blackish.

Range.--Middle America; breeds north to South Carolina, southern Illinois and Kansas; winters in tropics.

=330. Everglade Kite; Snail Hawk= (_Rostrhamus sociabilis_). L. 18. Longer upper tail-coverts and base of tail white. _Ads._ Slaty black; end of tail with brownish and whitish bands. _Yng._ Above blackish brown tipped with rusty; below mottled rusty, blackish and buff.

Range.--Tropical America north to southern Florida and eastern Mexico; south to Argentine Republic.

=331. Marsh Hawk; Harrier= (_Circus hudsonius_). L. [Male], 19; [Female], 22. Upper tail-coverts and base of tail white. _Ad._ [Male]. Above gray or ashy; underparts with rusty spots. _Ad._ [Female], and _Yng._ Above brownish black with more or less rusty, particularly on the nape; below brownish rusty with black streaks on breast. _Notes._ A peevish scream and peculiar clucking or cackling. (Preston.)

Range.--North America; breeds locally north to about latitude 60°; winters from southern New York, northern Illinois, northern Kansas, Colorado and British Columbia south to Central America.

Hawks

=332. Sharp-shinned Hawk= (_Accipiter velox_). L. [Male], 11.2; [Female], 13.5; T. [Male], 5.5; [Female], 7. Tail _square_ at end. _Ads._ Above slaty gray; crown darker; below barred white and rusty brown. _Yng._ Above blackish brown lightly margined with rusty; below white streaked with brown. Note the relatively long tail in this and the two following species. _Notes._ _Cac-cac-cac._ (Ralph.)

Range.--North America; breeds throughout its range but chiefly northward; winters from Massachusetts and Vancouver Island southward.

=333. Cooper Hawk= (_Accipiter cooperii_). L. [Male], 15.5; [Female], 19; T. [Male], 7.7; [Female], 9. Similar in color to No. 332, but tail _rounded_; adult with crown blacker. _Notes._ A cackling or chattering. (Bendire.)

Range.--North America; breeds from southern Mexico north to British America; winters from Massachusetts, Lower Mississippi Valley and Oregon southward.

=334. American Goshawk= (_Accipiter atricapillus_). L. [Male], 22; [Female], 24; T. [Male], 10; [Female], 11.5. _Ads._ Above bluish slate; crown darker; a whitish line over the eye to the nape; below _finely_ marked with gray and white. _Yng._ Above blackish brown, rusty and buff; below buffy white streaked with blackish.

Range.--North America; breeds chiefly north of United States; winters south to New Jersey, rarely Virginia, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas; west to Oregon.

=334a. Western Goshawk= (_A. a. striatulus_). Similar to No. 334, but _Ad._ dark plumbeous above, markings on lower parts heavier and darker. Stripes on lower parts of _Yng._ broader and blacker. (Ridgw.) _Notes._ A shrill scream and a frequently repeated _keeah_ or _kreeah_. (Bendire.)

Range.--"Western North America; north to Sitka, Alaska; south to California; east to Idaho. Breeds in the Sierra Nevada south to latitude 38°." (A.O.U.)

=346. Mexican Goshawk= (_Asturina plagiata_). L. 17. _Ads._ Above slaty gray; below barred slaty-gray and white. _Yng._ Above blackish brown with rusty markings, particularly on wing-coverts; longer upper tail-coverts white with black spots or bars; tail brownish with numerous black bars; below whitish with large elongate spots. _Notes._ A peculiar piping note uttered while hovering in the air. (Bendire.)

Range.--Middle America, from Panama north, in March, to Mexican border of United States.

Hawks

=335. Harris Hawk= (_Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi_). L. [Male], 19; [Female], 22. Longer upper tail-coverts, base and tip of tail white. _Ads._ Shoulders, thighs and under wing-coverts, reddish brown; under tail-coverts white. _Yng._ Similar but streaked below with rusty, buff and black; legs barred with white. _Notes._ A long, harsh, Buteo-like scream. (V. Bailey.)

Range.--Middle America from Panama north to southern Texas, rarely Mississippi and southern California.

=337 Red-tailed Hawk= (_Buteo borealis_). L. [Male], 20; [Female], 23. _Four_ outer primaries notched. _Ads._ Tail rusty brown with a black band, sometimes broken, near its tip; below buffy white, a band of spots across the belly; legs usually without bars. _Yng._ Tail grayish brown with a rusty tinge and numerous blackish bars; upper tail-coverts barred black and white; below less buffy than in adult; legs more often barred. _Notes._ A shrill whistle, suggesting the sound of escaping steam.

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Great Plains, north to about latitude 60°; breeds throughout its range; winters from Massachusetts, Illinois and South Dakota southward.

=337a. Krider Hawk= (_B. b. kriderii_). Similar to No. 337, but nearly or wholly white below. _Ads._ Usually without black tail band.

Range.--"Great Plains of United States from Minnesota to Texas;, east irregularly or casually to Iowa and northern Illinois." (Bendire).

=337b. Western Red-tail= (_B. b. calurus_). Very variable in color. _Ads._ Sometimes sooty brown above and below with more or less rusty; in light phase resembles No. 337, but tail _averages_ paler and sometimes has more than one bar; the underparts are deeper and legs are usually _barred with rusty_. _Yng._ Similar to _Yng._ of No. 337, but markings below heavier; flanks more barred.

Range.--Western North America from Rocky Mountains to Pacific; north to British Columbia, south to central America; generally resident.

=337d. Harlan Hawk= (_B. b. harlani_). _Ads._ Above sooty brown; tail closely _mottled_ with blackish, rusty and whitish; below varying from white, more or less-spotted on belly to sooty brown. _Yng._ Similar, but tail barred with blackish, gray, rusty or whitish.

Range.--"Gulf States and Lower Mississippi Valley, north (casually) to Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Pennsylvania; east to Georgia, and Florida." (Bendire).

Hawks

=339. Red-shouldered Hawk= (_Buteo lineatus_). L. [Male], 18.3; [Female], 20.3. _Four_ outer primaries notched. _Ads._ Lesser wing-coverts bright reddish brown. _Yng._ Below whitish _streaked_ with brownish; lesser wing-coverts less reddish; primaries with _rusty buff_. _Notes._ A loud screaming _keé-yer_, _keé-yer_.

Range.--Eastern United States to Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska and Minnesota, north to Maine, south to northern Florida; generally resident.

=339a. Florida Red-shouldered Hawk= (_B. l. alleni_). Smaller than No. 339. (W. [Male], 11.) _Ad._ Much grayer above, no rusty on head, much paler below.

Range.--Florida north along coast to South Carolina; west along coast to eastern Texas.

=339b. Red-bellied Hawk= (_B. l. elegans_). Similar to No. 339, but rusty of breast usually unbroken. Young with lower parts deep brownish or dusky prevailing; less buff on primaries. (Ridgw.)

Range.--Pacific coast from Lower California north to British Columbia; east rarely to Colorado and western Texas.

=342. Swainson Hawk= (_Buteo swainsoni_). L. [Male], 20. _Three_ outer primaries notched. _Ad._ [Male]. Breast patch rusty brown. _Ad._ [Female]. Breast-patch grayish brown. Dark phase. Brownish black more or less varied with rusty; tail obscurely barred. _Yng._ Below _rich_ rusty buff with elongate black spots. _Notes._ _Pi-tick_, _pi-tick_, frequently repeated. (Bendire.)

Range.--"Western North America from Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas and Texas to the Pacific coast; north to Arctic regions and south to Argentine Republic, casual east to Maine and Massachusetts. Breeds nearly throughout its North American range." (A.O.U.)

=343. Broad-winged Hawk= (_Buteo platypterus_). L. [Male], 15.8; [Female], 16.7. _Three_ outer primaries notched. _Ads._ Tail with two whitish bands and a brownish tip; below _barred_ with rusty brown. _Yng._ _No_ buff in primaries; tail brownish with several black bars; below whitish, streaked with blackish. _Notes._ A high, sharp, keen, penetrating whistle.

Range.--Eastern North America, breeds west to Plains, north to New Brunswick and Saskatchewan; winters from southern New Jersey south to northern South America.

Hawks and Caracara

=340. Zone-tailed Hawk= (_Buteo abbreviatus_). L. [Male], 19; [Female], 21. _Ads._ Tail with little if any white tip; _inner_ webs of all but middle feathers with black and white bars. _Yng._ Browner; tail grayish brown; white on inner webs, with numerous blackish bars. _Notes._ Not unlike those of _Buteo borealis_. (Belding.)

Range.--Tropical America north to southern Texas, southern Arizona and southern California.

=344. Short-tailed Hawk= (_Buteo brachyurus_). L. 17; T. 7. _Ads._ Above slaty gray, tail barred with black and tipped with white; sides of breast rusty; rest of underparts _white_. Dark phase. Blackish, forehead whitish; tail lighter than back, barred with black. _Yng._ Above blackish brown, below cream buff, _without_ black markings. _Notes._ Somewhat resembling the scream of the Red-shouldered Hawk, but more prolonged. (Pennock.)

Range.--Tropical America, north to eastern Mexico; rare in Florida.

=345. Mexican Black Hawk= (_Urubitinga anthracina_). L. [Male], 19; [Female], 21. _Ads._ Tail with a white tip and broad white band across _all_ the feathers. _Yng._ Above brownish black, buff and rusty; below buffy striped with blackish; tail with several black and whitish bars. _Notes._ Piping cries like the spring whistle of _Numenius longirostris_. (Bendire.)

Range.--"Tropical America in general, north to central Arizona, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas." (Bendire).

=362. Audubon Caracara= (_Polyborus cheriway_). L. 22. Tail white with a black end and numerous black bars. _Ads._ Breast and hindneck barred; belly black. _Yng._ Crown, back, and belly dark brown; hindneck, breast and belly _streaked_ with buffy. _Notes._ Generally silent, but sometimes utters a prolonged cackling note. (B. F. Goss.)

Range.--Northern South America, north to southern Texas, southern Arizona and Lower California; interior of southern Florida; resident.

=363. Guadalupe Caracara= (_Polyborus lutosus_). Resembles No. 362, but has rump and upper tail-coverts dull brownish buff broadly barred with dull brown; tail brownish buff with broad bars of grayish brown bordered by narrower zigzag bars or lines of dusky; terminal band less than 2.00 wide. (Ridgway.)

Range.--Guadalupe Island, west of Lower California.

Hawks

=341. Sennett White-tailed Hawk= (_Buteo albicaudatus sennetti_). L. [Male], 21; [Female], 23. Three outer primaries cut. _Ads._ Grayish slate above. _Yng._ Above brownish black; breast usually white, throat blackish, belly heavily marked with rusty and blackish; sometimes wholly black below; tail generally _silvery gray_., white on inner webs with numerous indistinct blackish bars. _Notes._ A cry much like the bleating of a goat (Merrill.)

Range.--"From southern Texas and Arizona south to Mexico." (Bailey.)

=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.

=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.)

=355. Prairie Falcon= (_Falco mexicanus_). 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_, _kée_, _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

=349. Golden Eagle= (_Aquila chrysaëtos_). 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.

=352. Bald Eagle= (_Haliæetus 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. alascanus_). 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.

=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 interspaces.

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.

=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

=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.)

=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.

=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, latitude 53°; south to Mexico.

=359. Aplomado Falcon= (_Falco fusco-cærulescens_). 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.

Range.--South and Central America north to southern border of the United States.

=360. Sparrow Hawk= (_Falco sparverius_). L. 10; [Female], 11. _Ad._ [Male]. Tail with one black bar; below _spotted_. _Ad._ [Female]. Whole back barred; tail with numerous black bars; below _streaked_. _Notes._ A rapidly repeated _killy-killy-killy_, usually uttered while on the wing.

Range.--Eastern North America west to Rocky Mountains; breeds from Gulf States to Hudson Bay; winters from southern Illinois and New Jersey southward.

Hawks and Owls