A First Glance at the Birds. 



Th-e turkey-buzzard is similar to the 

 condor in plumage, but smaller, and like 

 it in ugliness in repose, and grace in 

 flight. It is very abundant inmost parts 

 of the state and valuable as a carrion 

 feeder. 



Of our many hawks, the two most 

 numerous are the western red-tail and 

 the sparrow-hawk. The former is of 

 large size, abundant everywhere and 

 easily distinguishable in mature plumage 

 by the bright rufous color of the tail. 

 The sparrow-hawk is the smallest and 

 one of the most abundant of North 

 American falcons. It is showily colored, 

 with a rufous back and tail, black barred 

 in the female, a bluish-gray cap and a 

 series of conspicuous black streaks on 

 the head. The breast is buff or rufous, 

 more or less spotted with black, while the 

 throat and under tail-coverts are white. 

 The bird is most useful to the farmer as 

 its food is chiefly insectivorous. When 

 grasshoppers are plentiful, it is interest- 

 ing to see the sparrow-hawk poise in 

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