HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES 297 



ceous-buff, fading to whitish on the inner web, with broken bars of fuscous; 

 lesser wing-coverts conspicuously margined with rufous or rufous-chestnut; 

 tail dark grayish brown, indistinctly barred with fuscous, and on the basal 

 half with more or less rufous, the inner webs of the feathers with sometimes 

 white bars; underparts white or whitish, streaked or spotted with black or 

 blackish, the legs sometimes barred with rufous. d"L., 18*30; W., 12'50; 

 T., 8-00; B. from N., '75. 9 L., 20'35; W., 13'50; T., 9'00. 



Remarks. Adults of this species may always be known by the rich rufous 

 lesser wing-coverts. Immature birds are sometimes confused with the young 

 of the Red-tailed or Broad-winged Hawks. From the former they may be 

 distinguished by their small size, rufous margins of the lesser wing-coverts 



Fia. 87. Four-notched primaries of Red-shouldered Hawk. (Reduced.) 



ochraceous-buff markings on the primaries, and the continuously streaked 

 underparts; from the latter they differ in. having four instead of three outer 

 primaries "notched," in being larger, and in having ochraceous-buff on the 

 primaries. 



Range. E. N. A. Breeds from Man., s. Keewatin, s. Que., N. S., and 

 Prince Edward Is. s. nearly to the Gulf States and w. to edge of the Great 

 Plains; winters s. to the Gulf coast. 



Washington, common P. R. Ossining, common P. R. Cambridge, 

 common, Apl. -Nov., less common in winter. N. Ohio, common P. R. Glen 

 Ellyn, P. R., more common than the Red-tail; chiefly T. V. 



Nest, in trees, 30-60 feet up. Eggs, 3-5, dull white, generally more or 

 less sprinkled, spotted, or blotched with cinnamon-brown or chocolate, 

 2'15 x 1-65. Date, Iredell Co., N. C., Mch. 26; New London, Conn., Apl. 3; 

 Cambridge, Apl. 10. 



The present species and the Red-tailed Hawk are the birds to which 

 the names Chicken Hawk and Hen Hawk are most frequently misap- 

 plied. Being both common species whose habits render them easily 

 observed, they are often unjustly made to suffer for the sins of their 

 bird-killing relatives of the genera Accipiter and Astur. 



The farmer sees a Hawk sailing in wide circles above him, uttering 

 its fierce, screaming cry of kee-you, kee-you. While he is watching it 

 a sly, low-flying Accipiter slips by him and makes a sudden dash into 

 the poultry yard. The farmer does not discriminate; a Hawk is a 

 Hawk, and shaking his fist at the bird in the air, he vows vengeance 

 at the first opportunity. 



The IJed-shouldered Hawk is at most times of the year a bird of 

 the woods. Particularly does it like low woods watered with small 

 streams from which it can obtain its favorite food of frogs. Its note 

 is one of the common sounds of summer, and can be heard when the 

 bird is almost lost to sight far up in the sky. It is frequently imitated 

 by the Blue Jay. 



