THE FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. 513 
No. 208. 
FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. 
A. O. U. No. 348. Archibuteo ferrugineus (Licht.). 
Synonyms.—FeErRuGcINOUS RouGH-LEGGED BuzzarD. SQuiRREL Hawk. 
CALIFORNIA SQUIRREL HAwk. 
Description.—4 dults, normal phase: Back, wing-coverts, and rump mingled 
blackish and chestnut-brown, each feather darker centrally and edged with 
chestnut; primaries blackish with glaucous bloom on outer webs, shafts chiefly 
white, and inner webs largely whitish; the remaining quills similar but more or 
less blackish- and whitish-barred on inner webs; tail below, silvery white, above 
mingled ashy and ferruginous with white base and tip; head above and sides 
black-and-white-streaked in about equal amounts; underparts chiefly white; flanks, 
flags, and tarsi strongly tinged with rusty red and marked with blackish; also 
more or less marking of chestnut on belly and sides, and some sharp blackish 
shaft-streaks on breast. Adults, melanistic phase: Above rich chocolate-brown ; 
below mingled rusty and chocolate; tail unchanged. Bill dark bluish; feet and 
cere yellow; irides light brown or yellow. Jmmature: Upperparts grayish 
brown with tawny edgings; tail without ashy, white for basal third, remainder 
grayish brown, crossed by several indistinct dusky bands; underparts nearly pure 
white, not tinged with rusty posteriorly, but somewhat marked with dusky. Adult 
male, length: 22.50 (571.5); extent 54.50 (1384.2); wing 16.60 (421.6); tail 
10.00 (254) ; tarsus 2.75 (69.9). Adult female, length: 23.75 (603.3) ; extent 56.50 
(1435) ; wing 18.00 (457.2) ; tail 10.75 (273.1). 
Recognition Marks.—Brant size; soaring flight or sluggish flapping; strong 
mingling of rusty red distinctive in any plumage; white of underparts shading to 
rusty posteriorly of normal plumage unique. 
Nesting.— Nest: a bulky platform of sticks on ledge or cliff, rarely in trees; 
lined with fresh twigs and green branches, or variously. Eggs: 2-4, pale greenish 
blue or bluish white, unmarked, or else washed and tinged, rarely spotted or 
blotched, with pale rufous brown or dull brown. Avy. size 2.55% 1.95 (64.8x 
49.5). Season: April (Chelan, April 10, 1896) ; one brood. 
General Range.—Western North America, from the plains (eastern North 
Dakota to Texas) westward to the Pacific, and from the Saskatchewan region 
south into Mexico; casually east to Illinois. Breeds from Utah, Colorado, and 
Kansas northward to the Saskatchewan Plains. 
Range in Washington.—Not common summer resident east of the Cascades. 
Authorities —[C. & S. Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XII., p. II., 1860, p. 149. 
“Vicinity of Fort Dalles O. T.” Not a valid Washington record.| Brewster, 
BeNG Om CG aVille anes 2227. ((C&s)) Da bz: 
Specimens.—C. 
