SPECIES RECORDED ON CHRISTMAS COUNTS 
Although the winter records for many of the species 
of raptors are too incomplete to show definite popula- 
tion trends, data for these species are of interest to 
students of [Illinois birds and are summarized in the 
following annotated list. In general, the annotations 
are very brief, but a few species, such as the bald 
eagle and the broad-winged hawk, are discussed in 
some detail. The commonest Illinois raptors, which 
have been discussed in the previous section, are in- 
cluded with summary statements. No attempt was made 
to evaluate the authenticity of the records; they are 
reported here as they appeared in the published counts. 
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura. Recorded at three 
localities: 1 each at Mount Carmel, 1903, and Murphys- 
boro, 1954; 3 at Urbana, 1955. 
Black vulture, Coragyps atratus. Recorded at two 
localities: 6 at Horseshoe Lake, Alexander County, 
1949; 2 at Murphysboro, 1954. 
Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis. The least common of 
the accipiters recorded on the [Ilinois Christmas counts; 
reported with greatest frequency in the central and 
least in the southern zones. Largest number recorded 
on a locality count: 5 at Havana, 1949. 
Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus. Recorded ir- 
regularly in each zone throughout the census period 
but with highest frequency in the southern. Largest 
number reported ona locality count: 13 at Grafton, 1949. 
Cooper’s hawk, Accipiter cooperti. Recorded through- 
out the census period and the state with increasing 
frequency from north to south. Largest numbers reported 
on locality counts: 3 at several localities; 7 at Graf- 
ton, 1940. 
Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, cover photo- 
graph. The red-tailed hawk and the sparrow hawk were 
the two raptors most frequently reported on [Illinois 
Christmas censuses. Largest numbers ofred-tailed hawks 
reported on locality counts: 65 at Urbana, 1952; 47 at 
Grafton, 1950; 35 at Moline, 1955. 
Sight records of oddly plumaged red-tailed hawks 
are always open to question, because of the extreme 
variability of the species. Western subspecies of the 
red-tailed hawk have been reported only rarely. A black 
individual was seen at Michael, 1947, and a bird identi- 
fied as a western red-tail at Rockford, 1949. 
The Krider’s hawk, another subspecies, has been 
reported seven timess ] at Glen Ellyn, 1943; 1 at Mi- 
chael, 1951; 2 at Grafton, 1951; 1 at Lisle, 1953; 1 at 
Moline, 1954 and 1955; 1 at Waukegan, 1956. 
Harlan’s hawk, Buteo harlani. Two records: 1 at 
Grafton, 1950, and 1 at East St. Louis, 1951. 
22 
Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus. The fourth 
most frequently encountered hawk in the locality counts, 
recorded with highest frequency in the southern zone. 
Largest numbers reported on single counts: 15 at Bird 
Haven, 1954; 13 at Decatur, 1954; 12 at Moline, 1955. 
Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus. Astonishing 
numbers of the broad-winged hawk have been reported on 
Christmas censuses: 1.0 per cent of northern, 5.7 per 
cent of central, and 4.2 per cent of southern zone cen- 
suses; the reports were somewhat less frequent in early 
years than in later years. 
Though it breeds in Illinois, the broad-winged hawk 
is one of the most strongly migratory of falconiform 
birds, usually wintering in South America. The Christ- 
mas census records for this species may contain errors 
of identification; the broad-winged hawk has a con- 
spicuously banded tail, as does the adult red-shoul- 
dered hawk, and it is possible that the bulk of the 
broad-winged hawk records actually refer to the red- 
shouldered hawk. Winter records of the broad-winged 
hawk should be backed up by collected specimens when 
possible until the status of the species is firmly estab- 
lished. 
Swainson’s hawk, Buteo swainsoni. Two records of 
this western species, both in 1953: 1 each at Arlington 
Heights and White Pines Forest State Park. 
Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus. Recorded with 
highest frequency in central [llinois, lowest in the 
southern zone. Dark individuals recorded only rarely. 
Largest numbers recorded on individual counts: 28 at 
Rockford, 1955; 20 at Rantoul, 1919. 
Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaétos, fig. 9. Recorded 
at two localities: 1 each at Horseshoe Lake, Alexander 
County, 1949, and Grafton, 1950. 
Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, fig. 12. Nearly 
all of the bald eagle records are from localities near 
large rivers, especially the Mississippi. Frank C. Bell- 
rose of the Illinois Natural History Survey stated in 
1957 that bald eagles were increasing in number. This 
distinctive species was given protection in 1940; before 
1935 bald eagles were rarely reported on Illinois counts. 
The frequency for the period 1903-1935 for this species 
was 0.016 per cent of the counts in northern Illinois 
and 0.036 per cent in central [llinois; none were re- 
ported from southern Illinois. In the decade 1945-1955, 
frequency of occurrence for the bald eagle rose to 5 
per cent of the counts (north), 2 per cent (central), and 
27 per cent (south). That this rise in frequency was 
not solely a matter of more extensive coverage in later 
years is indicated by analyzing the Christmas counts 
from Rock Island, Moline, and Port Byron. Between 1906 
and 1952, raptors were reported on 34 censuses from 
