North American Birds Eggs. 



171 



360. Sparrow Hawk. Fdlro sparvcrius. 

 Range. — Nortli America, east of the Rocky Mountains and north to Hudson 



Bav: winter; 



ui' 



Huffy. 1 



from the middle portions of the United States, southward. 



This beautiful little Falcon is the smallest of the 



•;j^ , American Hawks, l>eing only 10 inches in length. 



Tliey are very ahuntlant in the east, nesting anywhere 

 in cavities in trees, either in woods or open fields. 

 The eggs are generally deposited upon the bottom of 

 the cavity with no lining; they are creamy or yellow- 

 ish buff in color, sprinkled, spotted or blotched, in 

 endless variety, with reddish brown. Size 1..S5 x 1.10> 

 They are very noisy, especially when the young are 

 learning to Hy, uttering a loud, tinkling, "killy, 

 killy, killy." They have a very amiable disposition, 

 and frequently nest harmoniously in the same tree 

 with other birds, such as Flickers and Robins. 



360a. Desert Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius phnhrna. 



Range— Western United States from British Columbia south to ^lexico. 

 This variety is slightly larger and paler than the eastern form. There are no 



differences in the niditication of the two varieties. 



360b. St. Lucas Sparrow Hawk. 



Range. — Lower Ualifornia. 



Falco Hparverius pen ii)sal(iri>^. 



paler than the western 



This variety is smaller than the eastern, and even 

 form. Eggs identical with eastern specimens. 



[361.] Cuban Sparrow Hawk. Falro dominicensis. 



A darker colored West Indian form, whose habits and nesting do not vary 

 from those of the common Sparrow Hawk; casually taken in Florida. ,^ 



362. Audubon Caracara. Folyborus cheriwaij. 



Range— Southern border of the United States south to South Ameri 



A strikingly marked blackish 

 and whitish species, much barred _ 



on the fore back and the breast, . ^ -- - . 



with the head and throat largely 

 white, except for a black and 

 somewhat crested crown. They >,^ * " 



are numerous in southern Texas 0^. . -. 



and also in the interior of south- '^^'^ 



em Florida, where they are res- 

 ident. They build bulky, but 

 shabby nests of sticks, weeds and 

 grass, piled into a promiscuous 

 heap, generally located in bushes 

 or low trees. Their two or three 

 eggs have a ground color varying 

 from buff to bright cinnamon, 

 and are dotted and blotched with 

 all shades of brown and umber. 

 On the whole, these eggs show a 

 greater diversity of markings 



and ground color, than those of i( iiinanKni. 



anv other species. Size 2.50 x 

 1.80. 



I ^'^y;-. 



