CHAPTER V. 



January 22 January 28. 



THE RED-TAILED HAWK. 



Order Raptores Suborder Falcones 



Family Falconidae Genus Buteo 



Species Buteo borealis 



Length 19.00 to 25.00; wing, 13.50 to 17.75 ', tail, 8.50 to 10.50. 

 Permanent Resident. 



"Dimly I catch the throb of distant flails: 



Silently overhead the henhawk sails, 



With watchful measuring eye for his quarry waits." 



The family Falconidse consists of about three hundred and 

 fifty species distributed throughout the world. One tenth of 

 these are found in North America. The family is composed of 

 the falcons, hawks, eagles, kites and ospreys, and is divided 

 into three sub-divisions, namely: Accipitrinae, composed of 

 the kites, buzzards, hawks, and eagles; (2) Falconidae, com- 

 posed of the falcons and (3) Pandioninse, composed of the 

 ospreys. These birds are characterized by their comparatively 

 short wings, long legs, powerful talons, and a bill which be- 

 gins to decurve from the cere, and has the cutting of its 

 upper mandible sinuated but never notched. All of them are 

 birds of diurnal prey which they take by pouncing upon it and 

 seizing it with their talons. 



The red-tailed hawk may be called our winter hawk and 

 for this reason the distinguishing name borealis is most 



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