ONTARIO. 



GENUS BUTEO CUVIER. 



136. BUTEO BOREALIS (GMEL.). 337. 



Red-tailed Hawk. 



Four outer quills emarginate on inner web. Adult, dark-brown above, 

 many feathers with pale or tawny margin-- , and upper tail-coverts showing 

 much whitish ; below white or reddish-white, with various spots and streaks 

 of different shades of brown, generally forming an irregular zcne on the 

 abdomen ; tail above bright chestnut-red, with subterminal black zone and 

 narrow whitish tip, below pearly-gray ; wing-coverts dark ; young with the 

 tail grayish-brown barred with darker, the upper parts with tawny streaking. 

 A large stoutly-built Hawk, Female, 23 ; wing, 15^ ; tail, 8 ; male, 20; 

 wing, 14 ; tail, j. 



HAB. Eastern North America, west to the Great Plains. 



Nest placed on a high tree, composed of sticks, twigs, grass, moss, etc, 



Eggs, 2 to 4 ; dull white blotched with rich brown. 



This a large and powerful bird, strong of wing, and stout of 

 limb, yet incapable of performing the feats of dexterity common 

 to the Hawks and Falcons. It is most frequently seen sitting 

 bolt upright on a stub in a field, or by the edge of the woods, 

 carefully scrutinizing the ground below in search of young 

 birds or small quadrupeds on which it feeds. It is resident in 

 Ontario, being seen both in summer and winter, but is most 

 frequently observed during the period of migration in spring 

 and fall, from which may be inferred that many individuals 

 spend the winter farther south. Occasionally in spring this 

 species may be seen singly, or in pairs, soaring to a vast height, 

 sailing round in wide circles, apparently enjoying the 

 warm sunshine and the return of life to the landscape below. 



The Red-tail breeds in Southern Ontario, is generally 

 distributed throughout the province, and is included in the list 

 of birds observed by Prof. Macoun in the Northwest. 



137. BUTEO LINEATUS (GMEL.). 339. 

 Red-shouldered Hawk. 



Four outer primaries emarginate on inner web. General plumage of the 

 adult of a rich fulvous cast ; above, reddish-brown, the feathers with dark- 



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