SPARROW HAWK. 

 Falco sparverius. 



DESCRIPTION. 



"Small, wings narrow and pointed; top of head bluish-gray 

 or dark slate, the crown with or without a rufous patch. 



Male. —Tail chestnut rufous, crossed by a broad black band 

 near end; wings grayish-blue, more or less spotted with black. 

 Above: Rufous, with or without black bars or spots. Below: 

 Varying- from white to deep rufous, with or without black 

 spots. 



Female. -Tail, wings and back ciossed by numerous narrow 

 bands of dusky." (Fisher.) 



Length. lU to V: inches; extent of wings IS to 23 inches; tali 

 4M- to n"- inches. Iris brown- leg:s and feet yellow. 



Habitat. -W'hn]r ,.r North .Vmerica. south to norlhern South 

 America. Coninioii ami l)rr"ils cenerally llirough.mt Pennsyl- 

 vania. 



Tho SjKUTow H;iu-|< i.s lli.' siualle.st and most beau- 

 tiful of tlic Ami'i'icnii li:i\vks. Dnriii}; inifyrations in 

 the sin-inji and aiilmnn and tliroiiirliout the suinmei' 

 ladiiths thi' S)(arro\\ flawk is ooinmO'n in nearly all 

 seetion.s of (his State, cxceitt |)erhaps in the heavily 

 ^^^ooded mountainous distri(-ts w here, aceordini;- to uiy 

 experience, the species is lalliei- lai-e. In snuthei-n 

 Pennsylvania, esjiecially in ("lieslei-, i>cl;i\\;nc. Lancas 

 ter and YoiTc counties, this bird is of frequent occur 

 rence as a wintei- i-esident. but in the central and 

 northei-n counlies of our State it is rejjiarded as :i 

 ratliir unusual winter sojonrner. 



In southeastern Pennsylvania where this species was 

 in foruKM- years a very common summer resident they 

 he.ffin nestinjj in April. The eggs, usually five in num 

 ber, are deposited in hollow trees, generally the de- 

 s(>i'ted hole of a woodpecki-i-. Th<' (>}igs measure about 



