92 YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



PRAIRIE 



FALCON 



17-20 



DUCK HAWK 



15-20 



^rrw ^i' ' ^ 



SPARROW HAWK 



9-12 • ^ 



often from considerable heights. Nest 

 of sticks on ground or a dead tree. 



Summer R., principally along the 

 coast and on larger lakes. C. V. to Yo- 

 semite region; most likely to be seen 

 at Hetch Hetchy and Lake Eleanor. 



FALCONS: Family Falconidae 



PRAIRIE FALCON (Falco mexi- 

 canus): 17-20 in. Above, grayish- 

 brown; inconspicuous white line over 

 eye; below, white with streaks and spots 

 of brown; dark line on cheek; throat 

 white; dark patch at base of wing con- 

 trasting witn generally light - colored 

 under parts, seen in flight. Female: 

 Larger than male. Immature: Gener- 

 ally gray. 



Widely distributed R. but nowhere 

 common. Frequents dry, open terrain 

 and rocky ledges. Nests at lower ele- 

 vations but wanders to above timber- 

 line in summer. C. V. to Yosemite re- 

 gion; observed at Yosemite Valley and 

 in the high Sierra. 



DUCK HAWK (Falco peregrinus): 

 15-20 in. Head dark above and at 

 sides; throat white or buffy bordered 

 on each side with black bar; remain- 

 ing upper parts slaty blue to brownish- 

 black; rest of under parts buflfy or 

 whitish crossed with narrow black bars. 

 Female: Larger than male; under parts 

 strongly marked with dark brown bars 

 on light brown. Immature: Below pro- 

 fusely streaked with black on bufT. 

 Feeds on other birds caught in flight. 



Frequents cliffs. Widespread R. ex- 

 cept in southeastern deserts. C. V. in 

 Yosemite region. Often seen near brink 

 of Upper Yosemite Fall. 



SPARROW HAWK (Falco spar- 

 verius): 9-12 in. Top of head and back 

 reddish-brown; back crossbarred with 

 black; tail rusty with broad black band 

 at tip; tip of tail edged with buffy; 

 forward part of wings (when folded) 

 and band bordering top of head blu- 

 ish-gray; two vertical black bars on side 

 of face; below buffy with black spots 

 on sides and belly. Female: Resembles 



