160 LAND BIRDS 



Adult Female : Top and sides of the head streaked black and brown ; 



back, wing, and tail brownish ; under parts wliitish or buffy. 

 Young : Like female, but darker ; tail brown, with three or four white 



bands. 

 Geographical Distribution : Whole of North America, chiefl}' north of the 



United States ; south in winter to Northern South America. 

 Breeding Eangc : From Mackenzie River region down to Washington 



and Oregon. 

 Breeding Season : ]\lay. 

 Nest : On ledges of cliffs or in hollow trees ; made of sticks or grass, and 



lined with feathers. 

 Eggs: 4 or 5; ground color cinnamon, covered with large indistinct 

 rust-colored blotches. Size 1.59 X 1.24. 



The Pigeon Hawk is one of the trimmest and hand- 

 somest of its family, and is tolerated in spite of its bird- 

 eating habits. It is not at all shy, and may be seen 

 feeding in the open country or on the edge of timber 

 land or along the shores. Its food consists of small 

 birds, pigeons, flickers, blackbirds, orioles, mice, and 

 gophers. Like the duck hawk, it follows birds in mi- 

 gration to eat stragglers. Its favorite victims are gallina- 

 ceous birds, but it also devours many of our familiar 

 friends among the song birds. This may be one cause 

 for the habit of migrating at night. 



It nests largely north of latitude 40°, and in Northern 

 California it begins to build early in April. The nest is 

 only a rude platform of sticks, scantily lined with feath- 

 ers, and placed in the crevices of a clifi', or in a hollow 

 tree, or high among branches of trees ; one observer has 

 found it occupying a space betw^een the rafters of a de- 

 serted miner's cabin. It is most common throughout 

 California in the winter months, when it comes into the 

 interior valleys from the colder districts and remains 

 until the early spring. 



