90 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



dish - brown and longitudinal black 

 streaks. Female: Resembles male but is 

 larger. Immature: Above brown; below 

 white coarsely streaked with brown. 

 Feeds on small mammals and birds. 



Frequents wooded streams and can- 

 yons both in mountains and lowlands. 

 Permanent R. Nests in Yosemite region, 

 including Yosemite Valley. 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accip- 

 iter striatus): 10-15 in. Resembles 

 Cooper's hawk but tail square-tipped, 

 not rounded as in Cooper's hawk. Fe- 

 male: Larger, than male, resembling in 

 size a male Cooper's hawk from which 

 it is distinguished with 'difficulty. Feeds 

 largely on other birds. 



COOPER'S HAWK 



-y 



14-20 





^IJkts^, 



"^p'-iii 





RED-TAILED HAWK 



Frequents deciduous or coniferous 

 woodland in summer. Widespread 

 W.V. at lower elevations. R. in Yosem- 

 ite region, occasionally nesting in Yo- 

 semite Valley. 



RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo ja- 

 maicensis): 19-24 in. Upper parts dark 

 brown; throat heavily streaked with 

 brown; breast whitish with indistinct 

 brownish band; belly tawny, marked 

 with dark brown; under parts of wings 

 without light area anteriorly, differing 

 in this respect from Swainson's hawk; 

 tail rusty. Female: Larger than male. 

 Immature: Similar to adult but tail 

 brownish-gray and barred with dusky. 

 Often seen soaring. Feeds largely on 

 gophers, ground squirrels, and other 

 small mammals. 



Widespread R. occurring from the 

 lowlands to the mountains. Most com- 

 mon large soaring hawk in the Yosemite 

 region; observed as high as 12,000 feet, 

 at the summit of Parsons Peak. 



SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo 

 swainsoni): 19-22 in. Light phase: 

 Above dark brown; chin and throat 

 whitish; breast often with broad band 

 of reddish-brown; belly white; under 

 parts of wings buff anteriorly; from 

 above, tail gray, often with whitish 

 base. Dark phase: General coloration 

 dark brown, almost black, lighter on 

 flight feathers and some reddish-brown 

 on under parts; no rust in tail as in 

 adult black phase of redtail. Female: 

 Larger than male. In spring and fall 

 migration may be seen in flocks, differ- 

 ing thus from most other hawks. 



Frequents dry plains and woodland 

 of foothills and valleys; occasionally 

 in high mountains. An occasional S. V. 

 to high elevations in Yosemite region. 



GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysae- 

 tos): 30-40 in. Largest land bird of 

 Yosemite region. Generally dark brown; 

 head and neck tinged with golden 

 brown; when seen in flight from below, 

 nearly uniformly dark brown; white 

 at base of tail; tarsi fully feathered; 

 feet greenish-yellow; bill bluish. Fe- 



