40 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 9 



in numbers throughout the region and has completely disappeared from some of 

 the more thickly settled areas. 



Wherever large grain or stock ranches are to be found this bird is still com- 

 mon, and it occurs numerously on the uncultivated plains along the west side. 

 Since its food consists principally of mice and gophers, with, no doubt, many 

 large insects added, it must have broad open fields to hunt over. Any time from 

 the first of August until the last of March these hawks may be seen skimming 

 low over the earth, pitching suddenly to the ground to pick up some object, or 

 perching on a knoll when a rodent is captured too large to be swallowed at once. 



While it is probably not often that birds are captured, the Marsh Hawk being 

 a comparatively slow flyer, yet the smaller birds seem to fear it greatly. One 

 winter, while working for a few days near a half-section of stubble, 1 was con- 

 tinually reminded of this hawk's presence by the great number of doves and 

 horned larks that were disturbed ; no sooner would one flock become settled 

 than another would fly up. 



Rumors have come to me, not a few times, of the nesting of this hawk on 

 the plains and elsewhere in this vicinity, but I have never been able to verify an> 

 of the reports. Two young men tell of finding a hawk's nest on the ground in a 

 hay field about four miles east of Clovis some ten years ago. It contained four 

 young birds at "haying time". 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter velox (Wilson). 



The author has always maintained, and has endeavored to find proof to back 

 up the statement, that each bird represented in the Fresno district was of some 

 use, and tliat its value to the community would far ofifset any dam.age of which it 

 might be guilty. In the case of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, however, after ob- 

 serving its manner of life for many winters, the only admirable thing that can be 

 said of it is that it is a skillful, fearless hunter. 



It is very doubtful if all other agencies combined are as destructive to small 

 birds as this hawk, and the number of sparrows and other ground feeding birds 

 that are captured is simply appalling. Skimming along low over the ground, 

 dashing into thickets and brush piles, with a flight that is noiseless, but marvel- 

 ously rapid at times, he is upon a flock of sparrows before they are aware of his 

 presence, and seldom does he fail to capture one. If by any chance the nitended 

 victim eludes its pursuer and takes to the open in an attempt to reach another 

 brush pile, it is surely doomed ; and with a few rapid wing beats and a final swoop 

 the little bird is carried to some place of concealment, stripped of feathers, and 

 devoured. 



The birds that appear to suffer most from this hawk around Fresno are the 

 Mockingbird, Intermediate Sparrow, Valley Quail, and Say Phoebe, in the order 

 mentioned. Mockingbirds are especially easy prey and apparently become 

 paralyzed with fear when a Sharp-shinned Hawk puts in his appearance. After 

 that they make no attempt to escape but simply crouch down and allow the hawk 

 to pick them up. Numerous little bunches of feathers along fences, on brush 

 piles, and in weed patches mutely tell of such tragedies. One winter the writer 

 shot a sharp-shin that was carrying a Say Phoebe in its talons ; February i8, 

 iQii, another was killed as it flew over a willow clump with the half-eaten re- 



