117 

 GENERA ELANOIDES AND CIRCUS. KITES AND HARRIERS. 



The Kites are birds of southern distribution and only one species 

 has ever been taken in Canada. 



327. Swallow-tailed Kite. FR. LE MILAN A QUEUE D'ARONDE. Elanoides for- 

 ficatus. L, 24. (Projection of outer tail feathers beyond middle ones 8 inches). A rather 

 small Hawk which measures large because of the great elongation of its outer tail feathers 

 which extend 8 inches beyond the middle ones. Wings and tail pure black; all remainder, 

 including head, shoulders, and upper back, white. A bird strikingly coloured in intense 

 black and white, with the deeply forked tail and long pointed wings of a Barn Swallow. 

 It is hardly possible to mistake this for any other species. 



Distribution. Tropical and semitropical America, appearing very rarely along our 

 southern border. 



A most beautiful species, but too rare in Canada to receive more 

 than passing reference here. 



Economic Status. Its principal food is insects, snails, and reptiles; 

 it never touches mammals or birds. 



331. Marsh Hawk. MARSH HARRIER. FR. LE BUSARD DBS MARAIS. Circus hud- 

 sonius. L, 19. Plate XI B. 



Distinctions. A partial and incompletely feathered eye-ring merely suggestive of 

 those of the Owls, is distinctive of the species. The general gull-like colours of the adult 

 male and the warm reds of the juveniles are characteristic. 



Field Marks. General coloration and the white rump which shows conspicuously 

 in flight are the best field marks. Its long pointed wings and long narrow tail give it a 

 falcon-like outline in flight, but its action is entirely different. 



Nesting. On ground in a dry spot of the marshes, or in a hay field. 



Distribution. The whole of the United States and Canada north to near the Arctics. 

 Breeds throughout Canada. 



One of our commonest Hawks, found almost anywhere in eastern 

 Canada. It haunts the open marshes, meadows, and fields and is to be 

 seen beating up and down, quartering and covering the ground like a 

 well-trained bird-dog. For an instant it hovers over its intended prey and 

 then drops upon it, rising a moment later to alight on a fence-post or 

 other similar slight elevation to devour its captive. The young birds are 

 unsuspicious, but the blue adults are amongst the wariest of birds and 

 fall to the gun comparatively seldom. 



Economic Status. Of 116 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry 

 or game birds, 34, other birds; 57, mice; 22, other mammals; 7, reptiles; 

 2, frogs; 14, insects; and 1, indeterminate matter. Thus of 144 food 

 contents 41 were harmful, 93 useful, and 10 neutral. Of the 41 harmful 

 items, only 3 were domestic fowl and the remainder wild stock, consisting 

 of 46 individuals of considerably less value than the domestic varieties. 

 The 99 mice and other mammals included about 117 individuals. The 

 insects were mostly locusts, grasshoppers, and beetles. The balance is 

 evidently in favour of this species which is incapable of taking any fowl 

 but small ones and then only when they wander away into its habitat. 

 Keeping spring chickens close about the premises is an almost perfect 

 protection against this bird. Haunting marshes, grassy meadows, and 

 tangled fence-rows as it does it is the nautral enemy of field mice and 

 probably does more to keep their numbers within bounds than any other 

 single natural influence. 



