Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



61 



THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 



THE SLATE-COLORED HAWK. 



yond the third white bar on tiie tail ; tail 

 8, reaching 2.^ beyond the folded wings. 



History. — In Vermont this hawk pass- 

 es, with several other species, under the 

 general name of Hen Hawk, but is some- 

 times distinguished as tiie lied Hen Hawk. 

 It confines itself more to the woods than 

 several other species, where it may be 

 seen flying among the trees, or sitting up- 

 on a limb watching for the appearance of 

 a squirrel, or some otlier small animal, up- 

 on which he may make a repast. This 

 hawk breeds in Vermont. Its nest is 

 about the size of the crow's nest. It is 

 placed in the forked branch of a high tree, 

 made of sticks, lined with moss. Its eggs, 

 usually four or five in number, are laid in 

 April. They are of a broad, oval form, 

 granular on the outside, and of a light blue 

 color, spotted towards the small end with 

 reddish brown. Whenever their nests 

 are approached, they manifest much un- 

 easiness, and their Kcc-o6 becomes very 

 loud and Hngry. 



THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 

 Falco pcnnsijlr aniens. — Wilson. 



Description. — General color of the 

 head, back and wings above brown, tinged 

 with buff on the neck ; wings very faint- 

 ly barred with black; tail short with three 

 brownish white bars, and narrowly termi- 

 nated with the same. Breast brownish buff 

 spotted with white ; belly, sides and fe- 

 morals, white with the feathers thickly 

 marked with large hastate spots ofyellow- 

 ish brown ; vent and under tail coverts 

 white with a few spots. A brown stripe 

 from the mouth towards the throat ; bill 

 bluisli black, nostrils oval, head large and 

 flattened above ; cere and legs yellow; 

 legs short and strong ; tarsus shielded 

 with parallel scales ; anterior outer toes 

 slightly connected; space between the 

 nostril and eye bristly ; wings broad, the 

 fourth quill longest; the three first ab- 

 ruptly notched on their inner webs. 

 Length of the specimen before me, which 

 is a female, 15 inches; spread of the 

 wings 33j^. 



History. — This hawk bears a consid- 

 erable resemblance to the preceding ; it is, 

 however, though smaller, proportionally 

 more thick and robust, less ferruginous, 

 has a shorter tail, and is without the white 

 marking on the exterior of tiie wings. 

 The Broad-winged Hawk breeds in Ver- 

 mont, and the specimen from which the 

 above descri])tion was made, was shot, 

 vifhile building her nest, in Burlino-ton, in 

 April, 1840. Witiiin her were found five 



eggs in different stages of enlargement, 

 one of which appeared to be fully grown 

 with shell quite liard and in a condition 

 to be deposited in the nest. Its color was 

 light sky-blue finely specked with brown 

 towards one end, witii a smootli surface. 

 The nest of this hawk is about the size of 

 the crow's, built in the top of a tree with 

 sticks, and lined with grass, roots and 

 moss. 



THE SLATE-COLORED HAWK. 



Falco fllSCUS. G.MKLIN. 



Description. — Form slender; general 

 color above reddish slate, the feathers 

 being brown slate slightly edged with 

 rufous; scapulars and upper tail coverta 

 v^'ith large concealed white spots ; wino-g 

 obscurely barred with dark and light 

 brown ; tail with alternate bars of black- 

 ish brown and dark ash, five of each, the 

 terminal bar being ash edged with white ; 

 chin, throat and belly yellowish white, 

 with aline or brown stripe along the shafts 

 of the feathers on the chin and throat, and 

 large tear shaped reddish brown spots on 

 the belly; thighs reddish, lighter on the 

 outside, with large hastate spots on the 

 outside, making them a])pear barred ; un- 

 der tail coverts pure wliite ; bars on the 

 under side of the wings and tail distinct; 

 legs and feet yellow ; claws black ; bill 

 bluish black ; cere greenish yellow ; irit 

 bright yellow. Length of each of two 

 specimens before me 13.4 inches, spread 

 of the wings 24 inches, folded wing 8, 

 tail 6.2, reaching 3. .5 beyond the folded 

 wings, tarsus 2.5, bill along the ridge .6; 

 along the gap .8. 



History. — This hawk is very common 

 in Vermont, and generally passes under 

 the name of Pigeon Hawk. It is usually 

 seen in our fields and pastures, flying very 

 swiftly near the surface of the ground in 

 search of its prey, which consists of small 

 birds, mice and reptiles. It sometimes 

 approaches our dwellings and carries off 

 young chickens. This species is very 

 widely diffused over our country, being 

 found, according to Audubon, as far south 

 as Texas, and according to Richardson as 

 far north as lat. 51*^. The nest of this 

 liawk is built sometimes in rocky cliffs 

 and sometimes on trees. The eggs are 

 usually four or five in number, rounded 

 at both ends, of a livid white color, blotch- 

 ed witii chocolate. This is liie Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk, figured and described by 

 Audubon in his Birds of America, I — 100, 

 plate 25. 



