& 



278 Bird Studies. 



The Red-tailed Hawk is about twenty inches in length, robustly and 

 heavily built. He may be known, when adult, by his bright bay tail, which 

 generally has a narrow black band near the end and a narrow buff tip to 

 each feather. His upper parts, the feathers of which are edged with 

 rusty, buff, or buffy white, are grayish brown. The lower parts are buffy 

 white, the upper breast is closely striped with dull reddish brown, the lower 

 breast is much less and often not at all marked. The sides and chest are 

 barred and streaked with dark dusky brown and the belly is generally im- 

 maculate. The feet are bare of feathers to the heel. 



Immature birds are grayer above, and the tail is gray with many ob- 

 scure dusky bars or bands crossing it. There is a more or less pronounced 

 dusky area across the lower part of the chest. 



The birds nest in trees well up from the ground, building a substantial 

 structure of sticks, roots, and coarse material, lined with coarse grasses and 

 the like. 



Two to four eggs are laid, dull white in color, sometimes immaculate, 

 but more frequently blotched or washed with shades of pale reddish brown. 

 These birds are found throughout Eastern North America, as far north as 

 the northern part of Hudson's Bay. 



They breed generally throughout their range and winter south of the 

 northern border of the United States. 



Krider's Hawk is a near ally of the Red-tail and is similar in appearance. 



It has, however, a greater preponderance of white in its plumage, the head 



K "ripr's Hawk frequently being very nearly white. The under parts are 



Bviteo bor^aiis kriderii lightly, If at all, Streaked and barred, and the pale red 



"°°p"- tail generally lacks the black bar near the tip. 



These birds are found on the Great Plains from Texas to Minnesota, 



and have been recorded from Iowa and Northern Illinois. 



Harlan's Hawk, another ally of our Common Red-tail, is found in the 



Gulf States and lower Mississippi Valley, ranging east to Georgia and Florida. 



It is known to occur casually in Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, 



Harlan's Hawk. ^^^ Pennsylvania. It is a little smaller than the Red-tail 



Buteoboreahs harlanKAud.). ,., i-tiii-ii ii 



Hawk, and m the old birds the upper parts are very dark 

 as compared with that bird. The tail is a mottled mixture of rusty red. 



