HAWKS OP THE CANADIAN PRAIRIE PROVINCES. 11 



sections. The Duck Hawk or Peregrine Falcon (length 16-19 inches) 

 (Plate III B) is considerably smaller and rare everywhere. It requires 

 a water-washed cliff for a nesting site and this limits its summer distri- 

 bution considerably. The Prairie Falcon (length 15^-191 inches) is 

 similar to the Duck Hawk in habit and is likewise rare or regularly 

 found only in the arid badlands. The Pigeon Hawk is much smaller 

 (length 11-12^ inches) and breeds in trees. The Sparrow Hawk is the 



Figure 6. Toothed bill of falcons. 



Figure 7. Untoothed bill of all other hawks. 



smallest (length 10-11 inches) and most generally distributed of the 

 falcons. In certain sections a lighter form of the Pigeon Hawk occurs 

 which is known as Richardson's Merlin. It is similar to the above but 

 much lighter, the back of the adult being almost pearl grey and the 

 brown of all plumages much bleached. 



The Pigeon Hawk is a small hawk little larger than the Sharp- 

 shinned but more heavily built and with pointed instead of rounded 

 wings. The juvenile is similar in coloration to that species but the 

 markings below are less sharp and more blended. The Pigeon Hawk can 

 be told from the Sharp-shinned in all plumages by the small tooth on 

 the edge of its upper mandible or bill (Figure 6), the cutting edge of the 

 upper mandible of all the hawks except the falcons being smooth and 

 entire (Figure 7). The adult is dark slate blue above with tail barred 

 with black and slate. Below it is white, or creamy with many dark 

 stripings more or less suffused with ochre shades. 



The Pigeon Hawk hunts small birds. Its small size prevents it 

 from taking poultry or grouse, except small chicks, and it can have only 

 an indirect effect upon agriculture by reducing the number of weed seed 



