FALCONS 



such rookory known to tlie writer has been 

 occupied by several hundred herons for a 

 number of years. Over one hundred and 

 fifty nests are included in the nesting area, 

 several trees containing from ten to seven- 

 teen nests each. They are wide flat struc- 

 tures made of sticks and marsh grass which is 

 carried several miles to the nest. The large 

 gi'eenish-blue eggs are three or four in num- 

 ber. Both parents take part in incubation, 

 which lasts nearly thirty days, and both 

 feed the young. 



FAMILY FALCONIDJE: FALCONS 



Desert sparrow hawk, Falco sparverius 

 ^ phalcena. 11.00 



Distribution: Western United States and 

 British Columbia from the Rocky Mountains 

 to the Pacific, south to Guatemala. Com- 

 mon summer resident on the Pacific Coast. 



The sparrow hawk, killy hawk, mouse 

 hawk, or grasshopper hawk is the familiar 

 little falcon of the whole of the United States, 

 and although found in several geographical 

 varieties it is easily recognized in any plumage 

 by its peculiar markings, differing in this re- 

 spect from all other of the smaller hawks. 

 One strong field mark, or habit, is its charac- 

 teristic manner of hovering or poising in the 

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