42 BRITISH NESTING BIRDS 



EAGLE, WHITE-TAILED (Haliaetm albkilla) 



Local Names. — Cinereous Eagle, Common Gannet, Erne, Fen Eagle, 

 Rough-Footed Eagle, Sea Eagle. 



Haunt. — Same as Golden Eagle, but more often near the sea and 

 large lakes. 



Nesting Period. — March to May. 



Site of Nest. — Same as Golden Eagle. 



Materials Used. — Same as Golden Eagle. 



Iiggs. — Two. Rounded ; white ; rough in texture. 



Pood. — Small mammals, putrid flesh, fish, and aquatic birds. 



Voice. — Shriller and more of a yelping cry than the Golden Eagle. 



Chief Features. — A rarer bird than the last named. The nesting 

 site is almost always quite unassailable. A bold, courageous 

 species, and often has a pitched battle with another of its 

 relatives. The different plumage and white tail serve to dis- 

 tinguish it from the Golden Eagle. 



Plumage. — Brown above, the head and neck lighter than the rest; 

 chocolate-brown underneath; white tail; yellowish-white bill, 

 cere, and feet; black claws. The tail of the young is brown. 

 Length. — Male, twenty-eight inches ; female, thirty-four inches. 



FALCON, HOBBY (Falco subbuteo) 



Local Names. — Hobby, Hobby Hawk, Merlin (Shetlands). 



Haunt. — Woods, and open country when hunting for food. 



Nesting Period. — End of May and June. 



Site of Nest. — Tall trees. Often usurps the nest of a Magpie or Crow. 



Materials Used. — Sticks, twigs, dry grass, roots, etc. 



Eggs. — Generally Three, rarely Four. Pale yellowish-red in ground 



colour, freckled and mottled with deeper shades; very round. 

 Pood. — Large and small birds, such as partridges, larks, yoi 



ducks, and pheasants. 

 Voice. — A shrill chatter, and a call-note like " pree, pree." 

 Chief Features. — The only bird of prey that is a regular Summer 



Migrant, reaching us from Africa and India during April. By 



no means abundantly distributed. Very courageous, and 



pursues its prey with great facility. 

 Plumage. — Bluish-black above; reddish-yellow with longitudinal 



brown streaks underneath; moustaches black and broad; lower 



tail-coverts and legs reddish; bluish beak, dark at the tip; cere 

 enish-yellow; iris dark brown; yellow feet; black claws. 



In the female the colours are duller, and broader streaks below. 



Length. — Twelve to fourteen inches. 



