THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 



407 



of our species ; we call our Vultures, Buzzards ; and our proper Buzzards 

 (Latin, Buteo, old French Busart) are merely "Hawks" or "Hen Hawks." 

 The Red-shouldered Buzzard is, after the Sparrow Hawk, the commonest 

 bird of prey in the state. It is well distributed, since it is content to occupy, 

 if need be, a very small piece of woodland, but it does insist upon having 

 undivided possession of that little, at least so far as other birds of the same 

 species are concerned. 



From this little stretch of 

 woodland, however humble, the 

 Buzzard sallies forth at intervals 

 to view the landscape o'er, mov- 

 ing forward vigorously to a well 

 accustomed haunt, or else circling 

 aloft above the home woods to an 

 immense height, and then drift- 

 ing away across the country in 

 great, lazy, sun-burned circles, 

 until the sight of game calls it 

 down. Altho its station is so 

 lofty, the prey it seeks is usually 

 of the humblest, moles, mice, 

 gophers, lizards, and insects. 

 Poultry is rarely taken and then 

 only under extenuating circum- 

 stances, as when a chick has dis- 

 obeyed its mother's injunctions 

 and gone too far afield. 



Red-shouldered Hawks win- 

 ter regularly from about the mid- 

 dle of the state southward and 

 casually to the Lake shore, but 



everywhere in diminished numbers. The winter birds are probably from the 

 extreme northern limits of the range, in Ontario; and I have fancied that it 

 was on this account that they showed a tendency to temporary albinism, or 

 seasonal whitening of plumage. The return journey is accomplished late 

 in February or early in March, and by the middle of the latter month most 

 of the Hawks are mated. This has not been accomplished without consider- 

 able aerial evolutions, and much affectionate screaming, such as does credit 

 to these 'ignoble' birds of prey. 



For the nest an old domicile of the Crow is often pressed into service, 

 but where the birds have little to fear in propria persona, they rear an unpre- 



Youngstou'tt. Photo by Geo. L. Fordyce. 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE RED-SHOULDERED 

 HAWK 



