258 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



beautiful bird in the light phnse, immediately flew off the nest. As I climbed 

 the tree they both uttered a single high pitched squeal, not unlike the alarm 

 note of the Broad-winged Hawk, but a little bit harsher. They coutinued to 

 utter this note during all the time that I was on the tree, which was at least 

 an hour. * * * They were very unsuspecting and gentle in appearance, 

 being most dove-like in their attitude, and having none of the ferocious features 

 that are characteristic of the Buteos. Scott, however, speaks of them as being 

 extremely wary and difficult to approach. * * * The short-tailed Hawk is 

 a very expert flier and sails by the hour, high in the air above the swamps, 

 without a beat of its wings. It is often seen in company with the Swallow- 

 tailed Kite or with either of the Vultures. During nest building the male 

 accompanies the female, which carries sticks to the nest, while he hangs sta- 

 tionary, with motionless wings, fifty feet over the tree. This is the same trait 

 that is shown by the White-tailed Hawk in Texas. 



Field marks. — It should be easy to recognize the short-tailed hawk 

 in either phase of plumage. In the dark phase it is a medium-sized 

 black hawk with no light markings showing from above ; as seen from 

 below the body and under wing coverts appear black and the wings 

 and tail very light with indistinct barring. In the light phase the 

 pure-white under parts and dark-brown upper parts are quite 

 distinctive. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The Florida Peninsula and south tlirough Central Amer- 

 ica and South America to northern Argentina ; nonmigratory. 



The short-tailed hawk appears to be a rare species throughout its 

 range. It occurs and breeds locally in small numbers on both sides 

 of the Florida Peninsula from St. Marks and San Mateo south to 

 probably Chatham Bay, Fort Myers, Miami, and Cape Sable. The 

 species is not found elsewhere in North America. Its range extends 

 south througli eastern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tehuantepec, 

 and Cozumel Island); probably Guatemala; Nicaragua (Escondido 

 River) ; Costa Rica (Irazu, San Antonio, La Palma, Cartago, and 

 San Jose) ; Panama (Chiriqui, Veragua, and Gatun, C. Z.) ; Colom- 

 bia (Santa Elena, Bonda, Quindiu Pass, and Mamatoco) ; Venezuela 

 (Merida, Escorial, Valle, Monte Sierra, and Culata) ; French Guiana 

 (Cayenne) ; Ecuador (Chimbo) ; Peru (Amable Maria, Tinta, and 

 La Merced) ; Bolivia (Tilotilo) ; Brazil (Cantagallo, Taquara, Para, 

 Matto Grosso, Piracicaba, Chapada, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro) ; to 

 northern Argentina (Alto Parana). 



Egg dates. — Florida and Mexico : 14 records, February 12 to June 

 10; 7 records, March 15 to May 1. 



