ACCIPITRES — FALCONIDiE-BUTEO. 
9 
THE RED-TAILED BUZZARD. 
Bcteo borealis. 
PLATE VIII. FIG. 17 (Yoono). 
(STATE COLLECTION. Female.) 
Falco borealis. Gmelin. 
Red-tailed Falcon. Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 205. 
Red-tailed Hawk. Wils. Om. Vol. 6, p. 75, pi. 52, fig. 2 (adult male). 
White-breasted Hawk. Id. Ib. Vol. 6, p. 78, pi. 52, fig. 1 (young). 
Falco borealis. Audub. B. of A. 8vo. pi. 7 (male and female); Orn. Biog. Vol. I, p. 265 ; Vol. 5, 378. 
F. id. Nottall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 102. Richardson, Fauna Bor. Am. Vol. 2, p. 50. 
Buteo borealis , Red-tailed Hawk or Buzzard. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 3. 
Characteristics. Dusky; whitish beneath, with dark hastate spots. Tail light reddish, 
with a black subterminal band. Young: Tail dusky brown, with 
several narrow blackish bands. Length, 20 inches. 
Description. Head large and flattened. Bill rather straight from the base ; tip much in¬ 
curved. Upper mandible broadly lobate on its cutting edge. Third, fourth and fifth prima¬ 
ries subequal; the fourth longest. Legs feathered two inches below the joint in front; naked 
behind. Tail nearly even or very slightly rounded, extending two inches beyond the closed 
wings. 
Color. Above, dark brown, with the margins of the feathers lighter ; beneath, the throat 
and breast white, with a few short dark longitudinal streaks : in the adult, these are rust- 
colored. Thigh-feathers white, with short interrupted transverse brown bars. Tail light 
reddish brown, with a narrow black band in the male ; tip light colored. Bill light blue, 
passing into black at the tip. Irides dark hazle. Cere and feet yellow. 
Length, 20 - 0-24 - 0. 
The Red-tail, Hen Hawk and Hen Harrier, by which names it is designated, resides in 
our State during the whole year. It preys on the smaller quadrupeds, but is better known 
by its frequent swoops into the poultry yard. It ranges from Mexico to the 58th parallel, and 
is peculiar to this continent. 
[Fauna — Part 2.] 
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