CHAPTER XVIII. 

 THE HAWKS, EAGLES, KITES, AND VULTURES. 



THE HAWKS. 



THE SPARROW-HAWK is one of the most abundant species 

 of its family in many parts of North America. It is a small 

 and handsome hawk, and breeds throughout the United 

 States, as well as in Mexico on the south and in Canada on 

 the north. It goes south in autumn, occasionally passing the 

 winter as far north as southern New York. Its nest is built 

 in holes in trees, those made by the larger woodpeckers often 

 being appropriated for the purpose, and five eggs are usually 

 deposited. It is a valuable bird and deserves protection and 

 encouragement. Dr. A. K. Fisher, who made a special study 

 of its economic relations, writes that it "is almost exclusively 

 insectivorous, except when insect food is difficult to obtain. 

 In localities where grasshoppers and crickets are abundant, 

 these hawks congregate, often in moderate-sized flocks, and 

 gorge themselves continuously. Rarely do they touch any 

 other form of food until, either by the advancing season or 

 other natural causes, the grasshopper crop is so lessened that 

 their hunger cannot be appeased without undue exertion ; 

 then other kinds of insects and other forms of life contribute 

 to their fare, and beetles, spiders, mice, shrews, small snakes, 

 lizards, or even birds may be required to bring up the balance." 

 In the sparse pine woods of the sandy barrens of southern 

 Florida we have found the sparrow-hawk one of the com- 

 monest of winter birds, and much more abundant than any 

 other hawk. One of its favorite methods of obtaining food 

 there is to perch in trees on the outskirts of the forest fires 

 that frequently occur, and catch the grasshoppers, lizards, and 

 other animals driven from cover by the flames. At such 



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