FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



167 



the Pacific, and from the Dakotas south to Mexico ; casually to Illinois. 

 Breeds throughout its United States range. 



Nest. — Usually on ledges of rocky cliffs. Eggs : 3 to 5, usually creamy 

 ■white, blotched and spotted with reddisli brown, spots sometimes covering 

 whole surface. 



Food. — Birds, mammals, reptiles, and the larger insects. 



Over the western plains and sagebrush desert country one often 

 sees a small, trimly-built, sharp-winged hawk dashing about in the 

 air, and on scanning the rugged cliffs discerns a white streak high 

 on the rock wall and with a field glass a niche above in which per- 

 haps the edge of a nest or the heads of young may be seen. Some- 

 times you will hear the high-pitched call, kee, kee, kee, as the old 

 birds circle around above their aerie. As they hover about the cliffs 

 their neat forms and quick, hard wing beats are so characteristic 

 that they could be mistaken for no other bird, unless perhaps the 

 duck hawk. Their nests are usually placed in the most inaccessible 

 parts of high cliffs, and the birds are closely associated with many of 

 the grandest western landscapes. 



The falcons are bold freebooters when a farmyard happens to lie 

 in the valley below and their hungry young are calling, but ordi- 

 narily ground squirrels and other small rodents supply most of their 

 food. The few birds they get are mostly caught on the wing. One 

 that shot past me in piusuit of a flock of Gambel quails in southern 

 Utah struck a quail from the flock with such force as to knock it 

 to the ground amid a cloud of feathers, but fortunately for the 

 quail if landed in the brush, where it escaped. Vernon B.-mley. 



Subgenus Rhjrnchodon 



Tarsus only slightly feathered in front, 

 broadly bare behind ; not longer than 

 middle toe without cla\v. 



356. Falco peregrinus anatum 



(Bonap.). Duck Hawk. 

 Adults. — Sides of head and neck blagk. 

 in striking contrast to white or buffy of 

 throat and breast ; rest of under parts 

 deeper colored and spotted or barred 

 with blac'kisli ; top of head sooti/ hlurk, 

 rest of upjxr parts slat// hi tie. lighter on 

 rumj), indistinctly barred with dusky ; 

 wing quills bl.ickish. iiuier webs of (|nills 

 spotted regularly witli huffy or yellow- 

 ish l)rown ; tail blacki.sh. crossed by S to 

 10 light gravish bars, and with narrow 

 white tip. Yoini;/ : under ])arts yellowish 

 brown or reddish brown, lieavily streaked 

 witli dark brown : upper parts blackish, 

 feathers edged with rusty ; tjiil spotted 



F>i>m Biological Survoy, I 

 Airnriiltiire. 



Fig. 235. 



