159 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 

 Accipiter velox. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Adult.— Vijvar parts uniform dark bluish-gray; top of head 

 somewhat darker; tail is marked with several transverse 

 blackish bands; lower parts white; the breast and sides 

 being barred with brownish black or rufous. Ins, reddish- 

 orange. 



Immature.— Vpper parts dusky; usually, with numerous 

 lighter spots, and the feathers more or less conspicuously 

 bordered with rusty; lower parts whitish, marked with brown 

 and dusky streaks. Iris, light yellow. 



A large female of this species measures about 14 inches iii 

 length by 2G inches in extent; the even or slightly notched 

 tail meas'ures about SVi inches; the male is smaller. 



Habitat. —Soith America at large. Common in Pennsylva- 

 nia, parlicularly in sparsely settled regions. 



The Sliarp-.sliiniied Hawk is known in different sec- 

 tions of l»ennsvivania bv a variety of local names, the 

 most common of which are, ''partridge" or "little quail 

 hawk," "pi;4-eon hawk," and "brown hawk." Unfor- 

 tunately much of this hawk's destructive work in the 

 l)oultry yard and to game and small wild birds is 

 wrongfully attributed to the beautiful and servicable 

 Sparrow Hawk, which, on account of its size, is frc- 

 (luently mistaken by farmers, poultry-raisers and 

 sportsmen for the Sharp-shinned Hawk which annual- 

 ly destroys a large amount of domestic fowls, quail and 

 grouse. 



This extremely daring and spirited little hawk is ono 

 of the most abundant of our North American species. 

 It is found in Pennsylvania as a resident, but during 

 the spring and fall migrations — March, April, Septem- 

 ber and October — it is plentiful, being frequently met 

 with in the mountainous and h(>avily-wnode(1 rlistrictJ». 

 ;is well as in the cultivated and rich agricultural re- 

 gions. .Mthough a native throughout the State, it is 



