BIRDS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



91 



male: Larger than male. Immature: 

 Ash-gray patch toward wingtip; tail 

 white with tip broadly bordered with 

 black. Feeds commonly on ground 

 squirrels and rabbits. 



R. throughout the Sierra Nevada. 

 Commonly breeds in the Upper So- 

 noran and Transition life-zones but 

 occasionally to above timberline. Often 

 seen soaring near rim of Yosemite Val- 

 ley. 



*BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leuco- 

 cephalus): 30-36 in. Head and tail 

 white; remaining plumage dark brown. 

 Immature entirely dusky brown ex- 

 cept sometimes for touches of whitish 

 on wing lining (not at bases of pri- 



MARSH HAWK ? 



18-24 



OSPREY 



21-24 



maries as in immature golden eagle) 

 and, when approaching adult plum- 

 age, whitish at base of tail feathers; 

 no well-defined dark band at tip of 

 tail. To a considerable extent scaveng- 

 ing in habit, feeding on carrion and 

 dead fish but also captures rabbits and 

 rodents. Occasionally frightens the os- 

 prey into dropping its fish prey which 

 is then taken by the eagle. 



Frequents ocean shores, lake margins, 

 and rivers for foraging and nesting 

 but ranges widely over diverse terrain. 

 Most likely to be seen at lower eleva- 

 tions in the Yosemite region. Reported 

 as nesting at Bower Cave, Mariposa 

 County, and seen in Merced River 

 Canyon, outside the park. 



MARSH HAWK (Circus cyaneus): 

 18-24 in. Above, bluish-gray; rump 

 white; tail long, crossed by black bars; 

 tips of wings black; below white with 

 scattered small reddish-brown spots; 

 neck and breast light bluish-gray. Fe- 

 male: Larger than male; above, dark 

 brown ; rump white ; below tawny ; neck 

 and breast streaked; tail barred; legs 

 and toes orange - yellow. Immature : 

 Similar to female but darker; rich dark 

 brown above and on sides of neck and 

 cheeks; below dark cinnamon - rufous, 

 streaked on breast. Nests on the ground. 



Frequents salt and freshwater 

 marshes and grassland from the low- 

 lands to the Canadian life-zone; chiefly 

 W. V. C. V. to Yosemite region. 



OSPREYS: Family Pandionidae 



OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus): 21- 

 24 in. Entirely dark brown above; be- 

 low generally white; white over eye 

 and on chin; from distance head may 

 appear predominantly white; white of 

 upper throat and breast broken by 

 brown streaks; underside of wing 

 largely whitish with dusky patch near 

 front edge toward tip; legs long, cov- 

 ered with white feathers for much of 

 their length; wings long and slender. 

 Female: Larger than male. Frequents 

 bodies of water. Captures fish by div- 

 ing feet first to the surface of the water, 



r. 



