THE BIRD BOOK 



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360. Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius. 



Range. — North America, east of the Rocky 

 Mountains and north to Hudson Bay; winters 

 from the middle portions of the United States, 

 southward. 



This beautiful lit- 

 tle Falcon is the 

 smallest of the Am- 

 erican Hawks, being 

 only 10 inches in /" 

 length. They are .■'•' 

 very abundant in the , 

 east, nesting any- 

 where in cavities in 

 trees, either in 

 woods or open fields. 

 The eggs are gener- 

 ally deposited upon 

 the bottom of the 



cavity with no lining; they are creamy or yel- 

 lowish buff in color, sprinkled, spotted or 

 blotched in endless variety, with reddish brown. 

 Size 1.35 x 1.10. These birds are very noisy, 

 especially when the young are learning to fly, uttering a loud, tinkling, "killy, 

 killy, killy." They have a very amiable disposition, and frequently nest har- 

 moniously in the same tree with other birds, such as Flickers and Robins. 



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Buffy 



Sparrow Hawk 



360b. St. Lucas Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius peninsularis. 



Range. — Lower California. 



This variety is smaller than the eastern, and even paler than the western 

 form. Eggs identical with eastern specimens. 



[361.] Cuban Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparveroides. 



A darker colored West Indian form, whose habits and nesting do not vary 

 from those of the common Sparrow Hawk; casually taken in Florida. 



