160 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



successfull}", but the dog was surprised and nuicli frightened, as the 

 infuriated hawk rushed out and attacked him. 



These hawks are not at all courageous in the defense of their nest ; 

 they generally keep at a safe distance or disappear entirely ; only on 

 rare occasions has one been known even to attempt to attack a 

 climber ; I have seen it only once. Only twice have I seen one return 

 to its nest when I was in plain sight near the nest tree ; once when I 

 was almost under the tree the hawk settled on the nest and would not 

 leave until I rapped the tree. 



Its behavior toward other birds is generally an attitude of stolid 

 indifference. I have seen it drive away other hawks from the vicinity 

 of its nest and, as stated above, have known it to preempt old-time 

 nesting haunts of red-shouldered hawks. I. have repeatedly seen it 

 attacked by a party of crows; it often pays no attention to them but 

 sometimes turns on its back and displays its talons, at which the 

 crows beat a hasty retreat; occasionally the crows pay the extreme 

 penalty for their temerity; crows have often figured in the food of 

 this hawk. Kingbirds and blackbirds often attack the redtail and 

 drive it away from their nesting sites, but I doubt if the hawk ever 

 retaliates. Mr. Skinner says in his notes: "Once I found one near 

 Southern Pines being tormented by four robins. It protected itself 

 fairly well while in the top of a tall pine, but when it flew 26 more 

 robins, which had been concealed in the foliage, gave chase and joined 

 their efforts to the pecks of the first four tormentors." 



Mr. Sumner (MS.) once saw a redtail attack and drive away a 

 horned owl that had ventured too near its nest. Great horned owls 

 habitually occupy old nests of the eastern redtail, probably preempt- 

 ing them before the hawks are ready to use them. I have always 

 regarded these two as supplementary species, one hunting by day 

 and one by night in similar regions and preying on similar victims. 

 I once surprised one of these owls feeding on the remains of a freshly 

 killed red-tailed haAvk. 



Voice. — The red-tailed hawk occasionally utters a note similar to 

 that of the red-shouldered hawk, but usually it is quite distinct. The 

 characteristic cry is described in my notes as a long drawn out, harsh, 

 rasping squeal, kree-e-e-e-e-e, suggesting the squeal of a pig. It has 

 also been written cree-e-e, C7'ee-e-ep, or pee-eh-h. Bendire (1892) 

 gives it as kee-aah, the redshoulder note, so often imitated by the 

 blue jay ; he also gives another note, chirr or pii-chiir, "when perched 

 on some dead limb near their nest." The note has been said to re- 

 semble the sound made by escaping steam, but I could never quite 

 see the resemblance. 



Field marks. — Its outline, broad, somewhat rounded wings, and 

 broad, rather short tail mark it as a Buteo. In adult plumage it 

 should be easily recognized. As it flies straight away in the woods, 



