BIRDS OF KANSAS. 263 



Buteo borealis harlani Ridgw. 



HARLAN'S HAWK. 

 PLATE XVI. 



A rare visitant. Tlie first specimen collected in the State is 

 in the State University. In the "Goss Ornithological Collec- 

 tion" I have three of the birds, out of four killed at Neosho 

 Falls. I am inclined to think that I have seen others, but at a 

 distance they so closely resemble the dark phase of the Western 

 Red-tail, that I am not certain. 



B, 22. R. 438. C. 515. G. 205, 122. U. 338. 



Habitat. As given in the A. O. U. Check List, "Kansas, 

 Louisiana and Texas; south to Central America; casually in 

 southern Illinois and Pennsylvania." The birds taken in Kan- 

 sas were all captured during the winter and spring months, 

 which leads me to think their range extends much farther north 

 than given. 



Sp. Char. Outer webs of quills grayish brown, marked with quadrate dusky 

 spots, producing bands; bare portion of tarsus in front less than 2.00. Middle 

 toe usually more than 1.60 (minimum 1.50, maximum 1.95); tail of adult usually 

 with much of rufous, with or without darker bands; youug with tail grayish 

 brown, crossed by nine or ten distinct narrow bands of dusky. Head and neck 

 uniform dark sooty brown or blackish, or else streaked with white (very rarely, 

 if ever, streaked with buffy or ochraceous.) Adult: Tail confusedly or irregu- 

 larly mottled with grayish, rusty white and dusky, either color predominating 

 (except the last) according to the individual, crossed near end by a more or less 

 distinct subterminal band, and tipped with whitish; upper parts chiefly (some- 

 times entirely) dark sooty brown or blackish (varying to deep black) ; lower 

 parts varying from entirely deep sooty brown or black to pure white, but, if the 

 latter, always more or less streaked and spotted, especially across belly and on 

 sides of breast, with dusky. Young: Tail banded with grayish brown and 

 dusky, the two colors of about equal extent; otherwise much like adult. {Ridg- 

 way. ) 



stretch of 

 Length. ■wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. Cere. 



Male 21.00 48.50 15.00 8.75 3.00 1.00 .45 



Female... 22.00 52.00 16.25 9.50 3.20 1.10 .45 



Iris brown; bill horn blue; cere greenish yellow; legs and 

 feet yellow; claws black. 



This bird, formerly entered as a species (^B. harlani)^ is now 

 regarded as a geographical color phase of B. horealis^ and will 

 stand in the next suppleinent to the A. O. U. Check List as 

 above named. 



