SPARROW HAWK 



Migratory. A small and bold falcon fre- 

 quenting open country. 



22. Cerchneis sparveria (Linnaeus) 

 Sparrow Hawk 



Length, 255 mm. (10.00 in.); tail, 1-20 mm. 

 (4.80 in.). 



Male. Back rufous, more or less incompletely 

 barred with black ; tail rufous with a subterminal 

 band of black and tipped with white; top of 

 head slaty blue with probably a rufous patch on 

 crown; sides of head with two vertical narrow- 

 black bands, the enclosed spaces covering part of 

 cheeks and whitish ear coverts; wing coverts slaty 

 blue spotted with black ; under parts cream tinged 

 with tawny on breast and abdomen and spotted 

 on abdomen and sides with black. 



Female. Resembling male but wing coverts 

 rufous and with back and tail distinctly barred 

 with black; under parts cream streaked with 

 tawny. 



Young. Resembling adults but colors more 

 blended. 



A common winter visitant. It frequents open 

 places, and is often seen perched on telegraph 

 poles along roadsides. Notes, a long drawn-out 

 shrill repetition of kitty killy. It has one habit 

 by which it may often be recognized, that is of 

 hovering in the air without moving forward, but 

 keeping up rapid beats of its wings. 

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