FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 157 



desert regions of western Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona, 

 it is not infrequently met with at long distances from water, and 

 has even been found breeding in such localities. . . . It is one of the 

 earliest migrants to return to its breeding grounds, arriving about 

 the latter part of February or the first week in March, and is readily 

 noticed then, both on account of its size and its shrill squeals, 

 uttered during the greater part of the day while circling high in the 

 air, in proximity to its future summer home. They appear to be 

 very much attached to certain localities and return to them from 

 year to year. . . . In Washington, Idaho,. Oregon, and California it 

 lives principally on the different species of ground squirrels so com- 

 mon and destructive in these states." (Bendire.) 



Mr. Grinnell says that this hawk, in common with other species, is 

 popularly known as henhawk or chickenhawk and is relentlessly 

 killed wherever chance is offered, and he adds that he attributes the 

 great local increase in ground squirrels in part at least to the destruc- 

 tion of hawks and owls. 



339b. Buteo lineatus elegans (Cass.). RED-BELLIED HAWK. 



Adults. Under parts bright reddish brown, usually plain across breast, 

 lightly barred with white below ; upper parts dark brown, streaked with 

 white or rusty yellowish brown ; shoulders reddish brown ; wings and tail 

 banded with white. Young : spots of buffy or yellowish brown on outer 

 webs of wing quills. Male : wing 12.00-12.50, tail 8-9, bill .78. Female : 

 wing 13, tail 9.50, bill .90. 



Distribution. From British Columbia south to Lower California and 

 northern Mexico ; and from western Texas to the Pacific. 



Nest. Of twigs or sagebrush lined with leaves, pine needles, inner 

 bark, and feathers ; placed in trees and giant cactus. Eggs : 2 to 5, white, 

 marked lightly with lavender and brown. 



Food. Lizards, frogs, grubs, and insects; and sometimes small birds. 



The red-bellied hawk usually makes its home in trees along river 

 banks, especially in oak and willow regions, where it may be seen 

 moving with a heavy flight suggestive of the owls. 



In speaking of its food habits, Mr. Lyman Belding says that he 

 once shot one of a pair that had for three years nested less than two 

 hundred yards from a poultry yard, and on examination of its 

 stomach found only small lizards, tree-frogs, grubs, and insects. 



When disturbed at its nest, Major Bendire says, the red-bellied 

 gives a shrill yee-ak, yee-ak, repeated rapidly in a high key. 



340. Buteo abbreviatus Cab. ZONE-TAILED HAWK. 



Adults. Whole bird uniform black or blackish brown, feathers pure 

 white at bases ; tail crossed by three broad lighter zones, which are gray on 

 outer and white on inner webs of feathers. Young: tail dark grayish 

 brown instead of black, inner webs sometimes entirely white ; crossed by 

 numerous black narrow oblique lines. Male : length 18.50-19.60, extent 

 49.50, wing 15.00-15.60, tail 8.50-9.15. Female : length 20.85-21.50, extent 

 58.10, wing 16.50-17.40, tail 9.00-10.75, bill .90-1.00. 



