THE TRUE HAWKS 



(Families Buteonidae, Falcondidae and Pandionidae) 



BY A. A. ALLEN, PH.D. 



ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORNITHOLOGY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY 



THE majority of the true hawks belong to the family 

 Buteonidae and are variously known as kites, 

 eagles, harriers, "buzzards" or "hen hawks," gos- 

 hawks, and sparrow hawks or "chicken hawks." Both 

 the terms buzzard and sparrow hawk are confusing 

 because in America the former is used synonymously 

 with vulture and the latter is applied to the smallest of 

 the falcons. In Europe, however, the broad winged, fan- 

 tailed hawks are called buzzards and the short-winged, 

 long tailed hawks are called sparrow hawks. 



Without reference to family divisions, there are four 



but, as a fact, this group of hawks feeds principally 

 upon small rodents and the larger insects. The broad- 

 winged and rough-legged hawks have practically a spot- 

 less record and the red-shouldered and red-tailed only' 

 rarely take birds or poultry. 



The members of this group of hawks are most often 

 seen soaring on high and are most easily identified by 

 the pattern of dark markings on their underparts. Thus 

 the broad-winged hawk has the under surface of the 

 wings pure white except for the black tips formed by the 

 dark first primaries. The red-shouldered hawk has the 











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Photograph by Herbert K. Job 



OSPREY AT NEST ON GARDINER'S ISLAND, NEW YORK 



Some of the osprey colony here nest on the ground. This picture shows cleaily the long, narrow wings typical of sailing birds which remain 



on the wing for extended periods. 



types of hawks according to the shape of their wings 

 and tails and their corresponding food habits, and they 

 may well be considered from this point of view. 



1. The broad-winged, fan-tailed hawks. This group 

 includes, among North American birds, the red-shoulder- 

 ed, red-tailed, broad-winged, Harris', Swainsons' rough- 

 legged, and a few other hawks and the bald and golden 

 eagles. With their broad wings and spread tails, they circle 

 high overhead as do the vultures but, with the exception 

 of the eagles, they are much smaller. In general, they 

 live in wooded districts but do most of their hunting 

 about open fields. They are all commonly spoken of 

 as "hen hawks" and are supposed to be poultry thieves 



under surface of the wings barred but with no distinct 

 black patch; the red-tailed has a distinct crescentic 

 black mark at the "wrist," which in the rough-legged 

 hawk, is very large and conspicuous. 



The eagles are usually recognizable by their large 

 size. The bald eagle was chosen as our national bird 

 more because of its majestic appearance than because of 

 its habits, for it feeds principally upon fish cast up by 

 the waves or those which it steals from the osprey. 

 Occasionally it takes crippled waterfowl. The adult 

 birds have the white head and tail, as always illustrated, 

 but the immatures have the head and tail brown like 

 the back, requiring several years to attain adult plumage. 



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