MEXICAN BLACK HAWK 263 



nest, firmly graspiug in his talons a twig from the tree on which he seemingly 

 so nearly escaped destruction. * * * 



The old birds are very bold when the nest contains young and often perch 

 on a branch five or six feet from the nest while one handles the young. Often, 

 too, the male, circling high in the air with dangling legs, a marked peculiarity 

 of this species, will suddenly make one of his awful plunges straight at the 

 intruder, swerving just in time to avoid the shock which would undoubtedly 

 kill the bird and knock the uitruder out ot' the tree. 



Dr. Mearns (1886) says: "Always extremely shy, they were usually 

 found hidden in the foliage near the water in some low situation, 

 whence, when surprised, they generally managed to escape through 

 the foliage of the cottonwoods without affording a good opportunity 

 for a shot. Their flight is swift and powerful." 



Voice. — My field notes record the cry as a weak, hoarse, squealino 

 note. Dr. Mearns (1886) says: "Their loudly whistled cry is differ- 

 ent from that of any bird of prey with which I am acquainted, but 

 is difficult to describe, although rendered with great power." 



P. L. Jouy (1893) writes: "I was attracted from quite a distance 

 by a curious harsh squawk which I at first took to be the note of a 

 night-heron; following up the sound my surprise was great to see a 

 large dark-colored hawk perched on the branch of a tree and utter- 

 ing, at frequent intervals, a harsh and prolonged cry like Kd-d-d-dh, 

 Kd-d-d-dhr'' 



Field marks. — The only bird with Avhich the Mexican black hawk 

 is likely to be confused is the zone-tailed hawk. As seen from above 

 the former is wholly black except for a broad white band across the 

 center of the tail and a narrower one near the base ; the white-tipped 

 upper tail coverts and the narrow tips of the tail feathers are not 

 conspicuous. The latter appears wholly black, or nearly so, from 

 above. As seen from below the former is wholly black, including 

 the wings, except for two white bands across the tail, which is also 

 narrowly white-tipped. The latter shovvs light-colored primaries and 

 secondaries, and three white bands across the tail, one broad, one 

 narrow, and the basal one inconspicuous. The Mexican black is 

 also a heavier bird, with broader wings and .shorter tail. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas south to 

 Ecuador. 



The Mexican black hawk has been found north to southern Ari- 

 zona (Agua Fria, Tonto Creek, Santa Catalina Mountanis, Los 

 Cabesos, Tombstone, and Fort Huachuca) ; southern New Mexico 

 (San Luis Mountains) ; and southern Texas (Starr County and 

 Brownsville). From this region it ranges south through Mexico 

 (Sonora, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Nayarit, Yucatan, 



