224 BUTEO LINEATUS — RED SHOULDERED HAWK, 



caused the tree on which the nest of a pair of these birds 

 was built to be cut down, and in a short time a new nest 

 was bugun within a short distance. 



They are decidedly arboreal in their habits, and prefer a 

 life in the woods to one in the clearings. Their prey con- 

 sists of squirrels and other small quadrupeds, occasionally 

 a young rabbit. They also kill wild pigeons, black birds, 

 and small birds, and are not so apt to visit the poultry 

 yard as the Red Tailed species. The young, as F. hyemalis^ 

 are described as feeding voraciously on I'rogs. Wilson 

 says that he has taken the fragments and whole carcasses 

 of ten frogs from the stomach (crop?) of a single indi- 

 vidual. 



The Red Shouldered Hawk is very noisy in the early part 

 of the season, and its note is easily recognized. The nest 

 is about the size of that of the Crow, and is built near the 

 top of some tall tree. The eggs are greyish white, with 

 dark brown blotches. The young are fed by the parents 

 after they are capable of flight, but as soon as they are 

 able to shift for themselves, the young separate and remain 

 apart until the pairing season. 



This species is nearly as long as the Red Tailed, but is 

 not as heavy; its legs are also more slender. The wings 

 are shorter than those of the other species of the genus, 

 and Sir William Jardine considers it the joining link 

 between Btiteo^ Astur and Circus^ partaking of the char- 

 acter of all these genera. The species is considered as 

 somewhat difficult to identify in its various states of plu- 

 mage, as it is variable in both coloring and size. Males are 

 found 18 inches only in length, while females sometimes 

 reach that of 24 inches. The adult bird is easily distin- 

 guished by the bright rufous wing coverts, and rather paler 

 coverts of the breast; the upper parts brown mixed with 

 rufous; tail brownish, with five transverse bands of white 

 and tipped with white. The young want the rufous char- 

 acteristics, and have the under parts of a yellowish white, 



