276 Practical Bird-Keeping .— V. Hawks and Owls.


Diurnal birds of prey, which are for purposes of this article

included under the rough and inaccurate term Hawks, may be

divided into three main groups—Vultures, Kites and Hawks

proper. The former feed entirely on carrion, the Kites chiefly

on carrion, while the Hawks proper always catch and kill their

own prey. Of these three groups the latter are the most delicate,

and thus, if we treat the two hardier groups as we do the most

delicate we shall err, if indeed we err at all, on the safe side.


In our treatment of these birds, the first popular delusion

which must be dispelled is that these birds are hardy, and that

all they require is a cage with or without shelter, and a little food

daily. This is a very great mistake ; true they are not difficult

to keep, but unless properly kept, although they may not actually

die they will never look nice and always be out of condition.


In the first place, let us see how they live when wild, that

we may have some wrinkles as to their requirements in confine¬

ment. Although having perforce to seek their prey in cold,

bleak and open situations, their actual home is either the gullies

of some steep and broken cliff or in the tall trees of some huge

forest, and, when not actually hunting for their pre)q they are

extremely sedentary birds. The capturing of their prey again

is no certainty, and many attempts have sometimes to be made

before success brings a well-earned meal. The meal, however,

being once procured is a good and substantial one and sufficient

to last the captor two or three days before the pangs of hunger

once more drive him to the chase. Further than this, in their

methods of feeding, bones, fur and feathers become swallowed

together with the more digestible portions of their food ; these,

by the action of the stomach, become collected into a pellet and

subsequently ejected, and it is not until some time after the

ejection of the pellet that they require another meal. Compare

this mode of life with the usual conditions under which these

birds are kept in confinement. A large open cage, exposed

alike to sun, wind and rain, without any shelter, so many ounces

of cold raw meat given daily whether required or not, opportu¬

nities for casting pellets but seldom supplied, and, if supplied,

the next meal served punctually to the hour, regardless of

whether Nature demands the food or not. Is it to be wondered



