390 THE PIGEON HAWK. 
No. 173. 
PIGEON HAWK. 
Jn, O. U. No. 357. Falco columbarius Linn. 
Description.—Old male: Above bluish gray or dark slaty blue; feathers 
with black shafts and pale or rusty edges; general color usually interrupted by 
outcropping white or buffy on nape; tip of wing formed by second primary ; first 
shorter than third; first and second sharply notched on the inner web; the second 
and third slightly emarginate on the outer web; inner webs of all quills barred 
or spotted with whitish; outer webs with traces of ashy markings; tail darkening 
posteriorly, white-tipped, and crossed by four narrow, whitish bars, the anterior one 
concealed; below white or whitish, nearly immaculate on throat, darkening post- 
eriorly to tawny or ochraceous, heavily streaked with dark umber, sometimes 
changing to bars on the flanks; sides of throat and cheeks finely penciled with 
umber; iris brown; bill and claws blue-black; feet yellow; cere and base of bill 
greenish yellow. This high plumage is quite rare. Adult female and male in 
usual dress: Above dark umber-brown, glaucous or not, the head varied by much 
buffy or rusty edging, with blackish central streaks; wing-spots ochraceous-buff ; 
tail with pattern as before, but blackening toward tip, and with ochraceous-buft 
cross-bars; below darker buffy all over, or tawny medially as well as posteriorly ; 
streaking of variable intensity. Immature: Perhaps lighter above, and with 
more ochraceous-buffy edging; otherwise not appreciably, or at least constantly, 
different from adult. Adult male length 10.00-11.50 (254.-292.1); wing 7.00 
(177.8); tail 4.90 (124.5); bill .48 (12.2). Adult female length 12.00-13.00 
(304.8-330.2) ; wing 8.50 (215.9) ; tail 5.40 (137.2) ; bill .57 (14.5). 
Recognition Marks.—'‘Little Hawk” size; swift flight; sharp wings; stout 
proportions otherwise; heavily umber-streaked lower parts. 
Nest, in hollow limbs of trees or in crannies about cliffs. Eggs, 4 or 5, creamy- 
white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate, or else cinnamon- 
brown sprinkled and dotted with heavier shades of the same color. Av. size, 1.62 
Ne AD (GUID Se {OK@))) 
General Range.—North America at large, south to the West Indies and 
northern South America. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 
Range in Ohio.—Not common winter visitor, or spring and fall migrant 
throughout the state. Formerly bred in northern part of the state but no recent 
records. 
IF a careful scrutiny of all little hawks is maintained throughout the 
winter and early spring, the search will be rewarded now and then by the 
sight of a bird whose movement is a little more rapid and dashing than that of 
the ubiquitous Sparrow Hawk. The wings seem to reach forward with a 
stroke like that of a strong swimmer, and altogether there is an indefinable 
air of quality and power about the diminutive Pigeon Hawk, which does not 
pertain to his less spirited cousin. Not content with the humble quarry which 
