THE RED-TAILED HAWK. 



(Buteo borealis.) 



C. C. M. 



UNTIL recently the red-tailed 

 hawk was classified with the 

 obnoxious hawks which prey 

 upon birds and poultry, but the 

 Department of Agriculture instituted 

 an investigation of this species and 

 concluded that it has a far worse rep- 

 utation with the average farmer than 

 it deserves. The late Major Ben- 

 dire asserts that, while it does capture 

 a chicken or one of the smaller game 

 birds now and then, it can readily be 

 proved that it is far more beneficial 

 than otherwise and really deserves 

 protection instead of having a bounty 

 placed on its head, as has been the case 

 in several states. The red-tailed buz- 

 zard, as it is sometimes called, in its 

 light and dark geographical races, is 

 distributed throughout the whole of 

 North America. Its food is chiefly 

 small quadrupeds, red squirrels, go- 

 phers, and moles, and the remains of 

 these rodents may be found in this 

 bird's nest containing young. Where 

 this hawk is found these small animals 

 are most abundant. Longfellow in the 

 "Birds of Killingworth," among the 

 "Tales of a Wayside Inn," has written 

 a defense of the hawks that the Audu- 

 bon societies might well use as a tract. 

 The nest of the red-tail is placed in 

 high trees in deep woods; it is large and 

 bulky, though comparatively shallow, 

 and is made of sticks and twigs mixed 

 together with corn husks, grass, moss, 

 and on the inside may be found a few 

 feathers. It is said that sometimes 

 the deserted nest of a crow or that of 

 another hawk is fitted up and used. 

 Mr. J. Parker Morris records a nest oc- 

 cupied first by the great horned owl 

 and afterwards by the red-tailed hawk 

 each year. The young owls leave the 

 nest before the hawk is ready to oc- 

 cupy it. Two or three, rarely four, 

 eggs are laid. Eggs are found as late 

 as the middle or latter part of May. 

 They present many differences in size 

 and markings; their ground color is 

 white or bluish white, some are entirely 

 unmarked, while others are very heav- 

 ily blotched and splashed with many 



shadesof red andbrown;andDaviesays 

 some are faintly marked here and there 

 with a light purplish tint, and again 

 the colorings may form an almost con- 

 fluent wreath at either end. The aver- 

 age size is 2.36 by 1. 80. 



In old paintings the. hawk is repre- 

 sented as the criterion of nobility; no 

 person of rank stirred without his hawk 

 in his hand. Harold, afterwards king 

 of England, going on an important 

 embassy into Normandy, is drawn in 

 an old bas-relief, embarking with a 

 hawk on his fist. In those days it was 

 suflficient for noblemen's sons to wind 

 the horn and carry the hawk. 



According to Mr. Horace A. King 

 this is one of the commonest birds of 

 prey to be found in northern Illinois. 

 They may be met with in all sorts of 

 places, but are most common in the 

 vicinity of heavy timber. In driving 

 through the country one will see them 

 perched upon rail fences, trees by the 

 wayside, sitting on the ground in stub- 

 ble or pasture fields, or soarino- over 

 fields in search of their prey. When 

 on one of his foraging expeditions, the 

 red tail, on sighting his quarry, will 

 remain at the same place in the air by 

 a continual flapping of the wings, when 

 at the proper time he will dart swiftly 

 and silently upon it. 



Mr. Claude Barton, while rowing up 

 Flat river recently, came upon six mal- 

 lards. At sight of him the birds took 

 flight, following the river. About two 

 miles further up the stream. he again 

 came upon the same flock. There 

 were four ducks and two fine drakes. 

 He hid his boat in the rice and watched 

 them. All at once a large red-tailed 

 hawk dashed into the flock. The 

 ducks, with the exception of one, dove, 

 and this one took wing, a swift pur- 

 suer following. The hawk did not 

 seem to gain on his prize, and the poor 

 duck was screaming with terror. Had 

 the duck sought safety in the water it 

 would probably have escaped, but it 

 was too frightened apparently to think 

 of it. 



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