PIGEON HAWK 



Sexes alike. Above slaty black; wing quills 

 barred with white on inner web; tail black 

 crossed by four or five narrow indistinct grayish 

 bands; sides of neck white slightly tinged with 

 rufous; breast and sides black finely barred with 

 white; remaining under parts chestnut; under 

 surface of wings brown inconspicuously barred 

 with white. Bill black; cere and feet yellow. 



Small and of typical falcon build and flight. 

 It frequents clearings in the forest and perches on 

 branches whence it darts after its prey, con- 

 sisting of birds, grasshoppers, etc. Its cry re- 

 sembles that of the Killdeer Plover (Oxyechus 

 vociferus) . 



21. Falco columbarius (Linnaeus) 

 Pigeon Hawk 



Length, 290 mm. (11.50 in.); tail, 140 mm. 

 (5.50 in.). 



Male. Slaty bluish gray above, long outer 

 wing quills barred with white; a rusty collar 

 across hindneck; chin, throat and sides of neck 

 white; tail with three or four grayish bands and 

 white tip; under parts buff washed with tawny 

 and streaked with blackish. 



Female. Resembling male but as in young, 

 more buffy or whitish below. 



Young. Above dusky, a broken buffy collar 

 across hind neck; long outer wing quills barred 

 with tawny; tail black tipped with whitish and 

 crossed by three broken buffy bars ; below, similar 

 to adults. 



