MARSH HAWK 79 



be complete without an occasional glimpse of this industrious harrier, 

 to add its touch of life to the picture. 



But the marsh hawk's haunts are not limited to marshes. It is 

 very common on the prairies and plains of the Middle West, though 

 it shows a preference for the vicinity of sloughs and wet meadows. 

 M. P. Skinner tells me that in Yellowstone National Park he sees 

 "more of these hawks hunting over the rolling upland prairies than 

 anywhere else." Here they "choose both the grassy meadows and 

 the sage- and brush-covered hills to hunt over." He has even seen 

 ihem "hunting across the open lands high up on the mountains", 

 between 5,300 and 10,300 feet. Anywhere in open country, where 

 its prey may be found, the marsh hawk is likely to be seen. 



Spinng. — The marsh hawk is a migratory species. Most indiv- 

 iduals spend the winter in the Southern States or in the milder sec- 

 tions of the country. But, even as far north as ISIanitoba, C. L. 

 Broley tells me he has seen the species every month but January. 

 There the light-colored males are the first to arrive, around the 

 middle of March, and the brown females come about three weeks 

 later. The season is about the same in southern New England, where 

 some birds remain all winter near the coast. 



Courtship. — Many accounts of the spectacular nuptial flight have 

 appeared in print, but I prefer to use the following description of 

 it, one of the best, in some notes sent to me by Mr. Broley : 



This is a vigorous and pleasing series of nose dives, mostly done by the 

 male, although the female frequently takes part in them. This takes place 

 sometimes at an altitude of 500 feet, but the usual flight averages 60 feet up, 

 swooping down to 10 feet from the ground. It might be illustrated by placing 

 a number of capital U's together as UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, as the turn 

 at the bottom is well rounded out, but at the apex the bird almost stalls, 

 tipping downward again to continue the movement. Some observers claim it 

 makes a somersault as it turns, but only on one occasion have I seen any 

 indication of this. The wings are kept fully extended during the whole period, 

 and they appear to be working easily all the time. I have seen a male make 71 

 of these dips in succession fly on for a short distance and commence anew. 

 The average number of dips would be perhaps 25. The flight is frequently 

 made while the female is flying along near the ground hunting for mice, below 

 the male, or again he may swoop continually in one location while she is 

 standing on the ground. The movement is extremely graceful and is a welcome 

 sight each spring. 



Other observers have described a similar performance, which seems 

 to be characteristic of the species, but most of them have noted a 

 complete somersault, or a sidewise turn, at the top of the rise. E. 

 H. Forbush (1927) says: "As it bounds up and down in the air, it 

 seems to move more like a rubber ball than a bird. * * * When 

 two of these birds are mated or mating they keep together much of 

 the time, either on the ground or in the air. When the female 



