KEY TO IOWA EAGLES AND HAWKS 41 



tion. The fact that our Iowa Hawks and Owls are of such various 

 sizes not only among the different species, but among individuals of 

 the same species adds to the difficulty of identifying these birds sole- 

 ly on the basis of size. Female birds average larger than the males. 



B. 



A KEY TO IOWA EAGLES, HAWKS, KITES AND 



FALCONS. 



1. Size very large. Length 33 or more inches. 



Tarsus not feathered to base of toes. Adult birds with white 

 head, neck and tail. Young birds without white. Bald 

 Eagle. No. 17. 



Tarsus feathered to base of toes. Back of head and neck 

 golden brown. Tail in adult is gray at base; in young is 

 white at base. Golden Eagle. No. 16. 



2. .Size large. Length 17.5 to 25 inches. 



Length 19 to 25 inches. Tarsus not feathered to toes. Bright 

 red tail. Circles high in air. Below white with buff on 

 sides of neck and dusky or brownish streaks on belly. 

 (Young birds have no red anywhere, tail is grayish with 

 many dusky bars.) Red-tailed Hawk. No. 9. 



Very light above, below white or with a few scattered 

 dusky spots on belly. Krider's Hawk. No. 9-a. 



Tail like common Red- tailed Hawk but with evidence of 

 more than one black bar. Body usually darker, tibia with 

 barred flags. Throat often streaked with black. Western 

 Red Tail. No. 9-b. 



Very dark though sometimes approaching the common 

 Red Tail. Tail mottled with rusty white, gray and dusky, 

 never brick red. Harlan's Hawk. No. 9-c. 



Blackish and white. Always near water. Feeds on fish. 

 Osprey. No. 22. 



Length 22 to 24 inches. Much rufous in plumage above. 

 Tarsus feathered to toes. Legs rugous barred with black. 

 Ferruginous Rough Leg. No. 15. 



Length 21 to 25 inches. Adult: bluish slate with blackish 

 pencilings. Top of head black. Below whitish with small 



