[104] BIRDS OF OREGON 



(1882.) credited it to the State, and Woodcock (1901) listed it as a breed- 

 ing bird at Newport on B. J. Bretherton's report. Walker (192.6) listed 

 it from Netarts, and various general ornithologists have credited it to 

 Oregon. In our experience it is a regular but not common winter resident 

 on the coast, occasionally as far south as Curry County, frequenting the 

 offshore rocks and rocky promontories where it makes life exciting for 

 the Black Turnstones, scoters, murres, and other wintering water birds. 

 Occasionally one takes up a winter residence on the wind-carved timber 

 that adorns the long sand spits across the mouths of many Oregon bays. 

 There this speedy killer will be found perched on a dead snag that affords 

 a clear view of the open spit in a fine strategic position to observe and 

 attack any of the constant procession of water birds that cross the spit. 

 Its speed enables it to overtake the swiftest, and its boldness often leads 

 it to attack birds larger than itself. The bird collected at Waldport by 

 Gabrielson had just killed and was tearing apart an adult California Gull. 



Black Pigeon Hawk: 



Falco columbarius suckleyi Ridgway 



DESCRIPTION. ''Adult male: Upper parts blackish brown, wing coverts and tertials 

 slaty, tail coverts bluish slate; tail black, with three slaty whitish bars, and tip 

 marked with whitish; throat white streaked with black; rest of under parts blackish 

 brown with whitish and tawny markings. Adult female and young: under parts 

 heavily marked with dusky; upper parts blackish brown, wing coverts and tertials 

 slaty; tail coverts bluish slate; inner webs of quills not distinctly spotted or barred; 

 tail bands, except for whitish tip, indistinct or obsolete. Male: wing 8, tail 4.90, 

 tarsus 1.40, bill .70. Female: wing 8.2.5-8.50, tail 5.70-5.80, bill .55-. 60." (Bailey) 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds apparently in western British Columbia and perhaps 

 on Vancouver Island. Winters south along coast to southern California. In Oregon: 

 Rare winter resident of coast. Only of casual occurrence inland. 



LITTLE has been written regarding the status of the Black Pigeon Hawk 

 in Oregon. Bendire (1892.) recorded a pair at Fort Klamath, May 9, 1883, 

 and Eckstrom (1902.) listed a specimen for the same locality and date. 

 Evidently these two records refer to the same bird or birds. Anthony 

 (Bailey 1902.) considered it a common winter visitor in the vicinity of 

 Portland, but no other observer has ever regarded it as anything except 

 a rare species. Woodcock (1902.) stated it was not common at Yaquina 

 Bay and Corvallis. Walker (192.4) took a specimen October i, 192.1, at 

 Netarts Bay, and Prill (192.8) one from Scio, November i, 192.2.. In addi- 

 tion to these, there are four specimens from Oregon. The first two are 

 in the Jewett collection, one from Seaside, taken October 18, 192.7, and 

 the second, a most remarkable record, procured by Harold Dobyns at 

 Heppner, July 31, 192.9. The third is in the Gabrielson collection, and 

 was taken at Modoc Point, Klamath County, October 9, 1934. The 

 fourth was taken by Alex Walker, in Tillamook County, May 5, 1934. 



