208 



AMERICAN ORNITHOL O G V. 



BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 



A.. O. I/. JVo. 34-3- (Bateo latijjimuj) 



RANGE. 



North America east of the Great Plains, and from southern Canada to 

 the Gulf and in winter to Central America. Breeds throughout its U. S. 

 range. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 14 in.; extent, 33 in.; 

 tail, 7 in. Bill, horn color. Eye, 

 brown. Feet yellow. Adult: — 

 Above, dark brown, the feathers 

 having lighter edges and the 

 shafts black. Primaries and 

 secondaries black on the outer 

 webs and white barred with 

 brown on the inner. Tail cross- 

 ed by three black bars, separat- 

 ed by narrower ones of gray. 

 Entire under parts white. The 

 throat is finely streaked with 

 dark brown, which changes to a 

 lighter shade and heavier mark- 

 ings on the breast. On the un- 

 der parts and sides the markings 

 are light brown and take the 

 form of wavy bars. Young: — 

 Under parts marked with dark 

 brown longitudinal spots. 



Feather on the left from the breast of an adult 

 bird — on the right from a voung: bird of the year 

 showing difference in their markings. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



This species constructs a nest of sticks loosely put together and nearly 

 always lined with bits of moss and bark. The nest is located at various 

 heights; generally from ten to thirty feet although they have been found 

 within three feet of the ground. They appear to favor the dense wood- 

 land for their nesting site to a greater extent than most other species. 

 They lay two or three eggs, rarely four, of a grayish ground color blotch- 

 ed with lavender and chestnut. The eggs are laid during May. 



HABITS. 



This hawk in regard to size is in the intermediate class, being neither 

 very large nor very small. In point of usefulness however they should 

 be placed at the head of the list. They are entirely inoffensive and are 



