BIRDS OF 



brown centres ; below a lighter shade of the same, with narrow dark streaks 

 and white bars ; quills and tail blackish, conspicuously banded with pure 

 white; the bend of the wing orange-brown. Young plain dark brown above, 

 below white with dark streaks ; quills and tail barred with whitish. Nearly 

 as long as B. borealis, but not nearly so heavy ; tarsi* more naked. Female, 

 22 ; wing, 14 ; tail, 9 ; male, 19 ; wing, 13 ; tail, 8 (average). 



HAB. Eastern North America, west to Texas and the Plains, south to 

 the Gulf coast and Mexico. 



Nest in trees ; composed of sticks and twigs, lined with grass and a few 

 feathers. 



Eggs, 2 to 4 ; variable in color, usually dull white, blotched with rich 

 brown. 



In Southern Ontario this species is a common summer 

 resident, breeding freely in the less settled parts of the country, 

 where it is more frequently seen than any other of the " Chicken 

 Hawks." 



In the fall it becomes quite numerous, making occasional 

 predatory visits to the poultry yard, although it is usually 

 satisfied with smaller game. It is not included in the list of 

 birds observed by Prof. Macoun in the Northwest, and as it 

 does not occur with us in the winter, it is probably less hardy 

 than the Red-tail. 



Like others of the family, this species varies greatly in 

 plumage according to circumstances. The young birds do not 

 show any of the rich reddish-orange of the adult, and were at one 

 time described as a separate species under the name of Winter 

 Falcon. From Western Texas to California, and south into 

 Mexico, the colors get much brighter and more decided, which 

 has led to this western form being described as a subspecies 

 under the name of Buteo lineatus elegans (Cass.). Occasionally 

 we meet here with an adult in full plumage which might well be 

 included in this group, but generally all are much brighter in the 

 west. 



138. BUTEO SWAINSONI BONAP. 342. 

 Swainson's Hawk. 



It is hardly possible, within the limited space at my disposal, to give 

 anything like a detailed description of the various phases of plumage which 



140 



