888 



ZOOLOGICAL SO( lETY BIXLETIN 



DUCK HAWK 



period of nearly tliirteen years. He now has as 

 cage mates, a pair of younger specimens, with 

 which he keeps on terms of armed neutrality. 



The King Vulture (Gijpagus papa) is a South 

 American bird, the scarcity of which is nearly 

 equal to that of the condor. This is a remark- 

 ably handsome bird and the brilliant coloration 

 of our two specimens seems strangely out of 

 place among their sombre neighbors. 



The Black and Turkey Vultures of North and 

 South America, are divided into two subspecies 

 each, all being represented in the collection. The 

 North American Black Vulture (Catharista 

 iirubu urubu) is distinguished from the South 

 American form {Catharista iirubu brasiliensis) 

 chiefly by its larger size. The South American 

 Turkey Vulture {Catliartes aura aura) is not 

 only much smaller than the North American 

 bird {Cathartes aura septentrionalis) but differs 

 also in the proportions of its head and bill, tlie 

 former presenting certain peculiar bony pro- 

 cesses not found so highly developed in septen- 

 trionalis. These vultures all are of great in- 

 terest because of their high economic value as 

 scavengers. 



The Orange-Headed Vulture (Cathartes uru- 

 butinga) is undoubtedly closely related to the 

 turkey vultures but is coal black in body color 

 and the bare parts of the head are brilliantly 

 colored with pale orange, pink and greenish 

 black. These birds appear to be as particular 

 in their feeding habits in the wild state as their 



congeners are voracious, and are said by the 

 natives to take only the choicer parts of such 

 food as they may happen upon. It certainly is 

 true that this species is greatly outnumbered by 

 the turkey vultures, at least in Guiana, and is 

 nuuh more solitary in habit. In captivity, it is 

 shy and delicate and will not be allowed a suf- 

 ficient su|)ply of food if confined witli other 

 larger birds. 



The California Condor or Vulture {Gyinno- 

 gi/ps calif ornianus) is one of the finest and cer- 

 tainly the rarest of all the birds of prey of 

 North America. Uncommon as this Condor is, 

 however, two young specimens have found their 

 way to the Zoological Park in recent years, one 

 in 1909 and the other in the following year. 

 U'e now have three individuals of this fine 

 s|)ecies. old "General" having been in the collec- 

 tion since 1905. 



The Audubon Caraeara ( Pol i/lioriis clicri-icaj/) 

 is. in a way. a link littween tlu' hawks and 

 \ulturts. It hunts nuieh u)ion the ground and 

 probably feeds mostly upon carrion, but never- 

 theless is well able to catch and kill living prey 

 when occasion offers, as evidenced by the sharp- 

 ened talons. 



The genus Buteo is represented in the collec- 

 tion by four species — the Red-Tailed Hawk 

 (Buteo borealis borealis). the Western Red-Tail 



AUDUBON CARACARA 



