THE BIRDS OF SOMERSET HILLS 73 



and rarely attains a height of over two 

 hundred feet. In both sexes the upper 

 tail-coverts are white. 



The adult Red-tailed Hawk (Plate 

 2O > P- X 35) ' IS reddish brown on the 

 upper part of the tail. The bird which 

 is most frequently confused with this is 

 the Red-shouldered, but the adult males 

 may be easily told apart. The latter has 

 no reddish brown on its tail, but its 

 shoulders are of that color. 



The small Sparrow Hawk (Plate 21, 

 p. 145) is brightly colored with patches 

 of orange brown and black. These 

 Hawks are about the size of a Shrike 

 and their actions and food are similar. 

 Both eat small birds, mice and insects. 

 The Sparrow Hawk is beneficial, de- 

 stroying vast numbers of vermin, insects 

 and English Sparrows. They do occa- 

 sionally eat song birds, but not often 

 enough to class them with the hawks 



