BIRDS OF NEW YORK 87 



buffy white, rather heavily spotted and streaked with blackish; tail grayish 

 brown -with 4-8 narrow blackish bands. 



Length d" 13.5-16, 9 16. 5-17. 5; extent 33-38; wing 10-12; tail 

 6.5-7.3; tarsus 2.2-2.8. 



Distribution. The Broad-winged hawk is a fairly common summer 

 resident of the wooded districts of New York. In the Adirondacks it is 

 probably the commonest hawk. On Long Island and in eastern New York 

 generally, it is a summer resident of irregular distribution, but in western 

 and central New York it is almost unknown as a breeding species. Although 

 it breeds from the Gulf States northward to Alberta, Quebec and New 

 Brunswick, it is much more local in distribution than the Red-tailed and 

 Red-shouldered hawks, inhabiting more exclusively the wooded country, 

 either by preference or because its unsuspicious nature has brought about 

 its extirpation in the more cultivated districts. In all parts of New York, 

 however, it is a rather common migrant, at least in the coastal district, 

 the Hudson valley, and in the country immediately south of Lake Ontario, 

 where large flights often occur late in April and early in October, the 

 migrations being accomplished between April 15 and May 25, and between 

 August 10 and October 20. In southeastern New York the Broad -wing 

 often remains throughout the winter as it does in the Ohio and Delaware 

 valleys, but in western New York I have never seen a winter specimen. 



This species soars about in the air less than our other buteos and 

 I have never heard it utter such loud and screaming notes. Fisher aptly 

 compares its common note to that of the Wood pewee. It sometimes 

 sits for hours on some high and conspicuous perch, but is more often found 

 in the midst of the forest or silently seated in a low tree beside a stream 

 or swamp, watching for snakes, mice, frogs or insects which constitute 

 the principal part of its food. It shows little fear of man and when 

 approached too closely will usually fly for only a short distance before 

 alighting unconcernedly and continuing its scrutiny of the ground where 

 its humble prey resides. 



The Broad-wing places its nest in trees, from 25 to 60 feet from the 

 ground. It is about the size of a crow's nest and composed of sticks, bark 



