EASTERN RED-TAILED HAWK 161 



or as it wheels in soaring flight, it shows a glimpse of its red tail, 

 with no barring on the nnder side of it, in marked contrast with the 

 conspicuously black and white barred tail of the redshoulder. The 

 under side of the wing is whitish, without bars, but with a dark 

 border formed by the dusky tips of the primaries and secondaries 

 and there is usually a dark wrist mark near the bend of the wing. 

 The sides of the head are very dark and the breast is largely whitish, 

 with dark streaks only on the belly and flanks. The young bird looks 

 very much like the young redshoulder; it has a faintly barred tail, 

 and the streaking on the under parts is more like that of the adult 

 redtail, very scanty on the breast, than like the young redshoulder, 

 which is more uniformly streaked below. 



Fall. — Early in September, red-tailed hawks begin to drift south- 

 ward from New England and other northern parts of their range. 

 These fall flights are very spectacular and usually contain a variety 

 of species ; they are seen to best advantage on clear cool days with a 

 northwest wind. These large mixed flights often contain hundreds 

 of individuals, spread out over a wide area and continuing to pass 

 for several hours. Dr. Fisher (1893) has seen a flock containing 65 

 red-tailed hawks "fljdng in a comparatively compact body, probably 

 not more than a few feet from each other." H. S. and H. B. Forbes 

 (1927) thus describe a flight as witnessed in New Hampshire on 

 September 14, 1926 : 



Far out to the northwest two Hawks, perhaps a mile away, were seen wheel- 

 ing over the valley at a slightly lower level than our point of observation. 

 Then, as if from nowhere, other Hawks rapidly appeared, swooping, turning 

 and soaring upwards in irregular steep spirals. More and more individuals 

 appeared until the specks resembled a swarm of large insects, black against the 

 pearl gray clouds. The total number was estimated to be between thirty and 

 forty. Now they soared slowly, now flew with rapid wing beat at great si)eed. 

 Each individual chose his own course without evidence of leadership. In from 

 five to ten minutes (the exact time unfortunately was not noted) the flight 

 had gained great altitude and to our astonishment the highest birds began to 

 disappear in the clouds, some of them reappearing and again diving into the 

 mist. Finally the whole flight had spiralled upward into the cloud mass and 

 was lost to view. Once, half a minute later, a few specks wheeled out toward 

 us and for a moment could be dimly seen through the edge of the cloud. That 

 was the last glimpse. 



Dr. Thomas S. Roberts (1932) writes from Minnesota: 



While driving from Ten Mile Lake, Otter Tail County, to Breckenridge on 

 the Red River, on October 7, 1927, the writer, accompanied by Mr. Kilgore and 

 Mr. Breckenridge, passed through what was evidently a large migration of 

 Redtails. There were a few scattered all over the country, but on the open 

 prairie between Nashua and Campbell, in Wilkin County, many of the fence 

 posts, telephone and telegraph poles, and straw-stacks and hay-stacks, were 

 occupied by birds, while others circled in the air, and a few were walking about 

 on the ground. Forty-eight were counted, most of them in a limited area. 



