390 THE PIGEON HAWK. 



No. 173. 



PIGEON HAWK. 



A. O. U. No. 357. Falco columbarius Linn. 



Description. Old male : Above bluish gray or dark slaty blue ; feathers 

 with black shafts and pale or rusty edges; general color usually interrupted by 

 outcropping white or buffy on nape; tip of wing formed by second primary; first 

 shorter than third ; first and second sharply notched on the inner web ; the second 

 and third slightly emarginate on the outer web; inner webs of all quills barred 

 or spotted with whitish ; outer webs with traces of ashy markings ; tail darkening 

 posteriorly, white-tipped, and crossed by four narrow, whitish bars, the anterior one 

 concealed; below white or whitish, nearly immaculate on throat, darkening post- 

 eriorly to tawny or ochraceous, heavily streaked with dark umber, sometimes 

 changing to bars on the flanks ; sides of throat and cheeks finely penciled with 

 umber ; iris brown ; bill and claws blue-black ; feet yellow ; cere and base of bill 

 greenish yellow. This high plumage is quite rare. Adult female and male in 

 usual dress : Above dark umber-brown, glaucous or not, the head varied by much 

 buffy or rusty edging, with blackish central streaks ; wing-spots ochraceous-buff ; 

 tail with pattern as before, but blackening toward tip, and with ochraceous-buff 

 cross-bars ; below darker buffy all over, or tawny medially as well as posteriorly ; 

 streaking of variable intensity. Immature : Perhaps lighter above, and with 

 more ochraceous-buff y edging; otherwise not appreciably, or at least constantly, 

 different from adult. Adult male length 10.00-11.50 (254.-292.I) ; wing 7.00 

 (177.8); tail 4.90 (124.5); bill .48 (12.2). Adult female length 12.00-13.00 

 (304-8-330-2) ; wing 8.50 (215.9) ; tail 5.40 ( 137-2) ; bill .57 (14.5)- 



Recognition Marks. "Little Hawk" size ; swift flight ; sharp wings ; stout 

 proportions otherwise ; heavily umber-streaked lower parts. 



Nest, in hollow limbs of trees or in crannies about cliffs. Eggs, 4 or 5, creamy- 

 white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate, or else cinnamon- 

 brown sprinkled and dotted with heavier shades of the same color. Av. size, 1.62 

 x 1.22 (41.2 x 30.9). 



General Range. North America at large, south to the West Indies and 

 northern South America. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 



Range in Ohio. Not common winter visitor, or spring and fall migrant 

 throughout the state. Formerly bred in northern part of the state but no recent 

 records. 



IF a careful scrutiny of all little hawks is maintained throughout the 

 winter and early spring-, the search will be rewarded now and then by the 

 sight of a bird whose movement is a little more rapid and dashing than that of 

 the ubiquitous Sparrow Hawk. The wings seem to reach forward with a 

 stroke like that of a strong swimmer, and altogether there is an indefinable 

 air of quality and power about the diminutive Pigeon Hawk, which does not 

 pertain to his less spirited cousin. Not content with the humble quarry which 



