THE RAPTORES OF THE PUNJAB. 



U\ 



Tj/pe, Genus. Species. 



Fa lco. . . F. juffffer. 



H. < 



^SALON 



. . F. chenu;/ 



. . F. miloipes 



. . F. siihhuteo 



, . F. sevenis 

 . .A. regulus 



„ . .A. chiqiicra 



TiNNUNCULUS. . T. alaudanus 



Characteristics. 



a. 16" to 18" length ; b. 1st pri- 

 mary suboqual to 3rd or short- 

 er; adults not banded above; 

 c. A distinct narrow ohoek- 

 stripe, middle tail feathers 

 outiroly brown in adults. 



a. Length 195" to 22" ; b. as in 

 F. jufjger ; c. no cheek-stripe, 

 middle tail feathers usually 

 brown, with white spots on both 

 webs. 



a. Length 20" to 23" ; b. as for 

 F. jugr/er, adults banded with 

 rufous on back, wings and tail. 



a. Smaller, length under 13" ; 

 breast white or buff with brown 

 streaks. 



a. As for F. suhbuteo ; d. breast 

 deep rufous, spotted in adults. 



a. Crown grey or brown dark- 

 shafted. 



a. Crown chestnut. 



As for genus. 



Hov to Icnom the Raptores on the Wing. 



As I have already stated, most of the Birds of Prey can be as easily re- 

 cognised on the wing, at a long distance oft", as they can from specimens 

 in the hand, but it is not so easy to describe what one can see for one's 

 self, and in many cases, the diSerence is so very slight that it would be 

 impossible to put it into words. I will not attempt to describe the very 

 subtle distinctions between some species of the same genus, but they are 

 there all the same and to a man who is accustomed to watching birds on 

 the wing, they are plain enough. 



I had an old falconer who could differentiate at a glance between the 

 various falcons and between the male of a sparrow-hawk and a female 

 Shikra. I was very sceptical at first as I could not see any difterence 

 between the two, until I went out of my way to catch the hawk regarding 

 which I was doubtful, two or three times, and found him right every time. 

 This degree of efliciency can only be acquired by long practice, and most 

 men will be more than satisfied if they can get the length of recognising 

 the majority of birds one comes across during a day's ramble, or see 

 circling round their station. 



Though colouration has played a very small part hitherto in this paper, 

 it will be much more prominent now and will considerably aid the beginner 

 in his search, though it is by no means always reliable. 



For instance, in describing an adult Imperial Eagle on the wing, the 

 predominating colour to look for is black, whereas the same bird in its first 

 year plumage would be very like a Steppe Eagle and the predominating 

 colour would be brown. If very near, the marking on the breast would 

 serve as a clue, as the young Imperial has a spotted breast, whereas the 

 Steppe would have a plain brown one. The Steppe again can generally be 

 identified by having two buft' or whitish lines running parallel to each 

 other, which extend the whole length of his wing, which are lacking in the 



Imperial. 

 11 



Then again^ the Tawny sometimes has one very distinct line 



