ANAKTUVUK PASS 53 



Krog and I were convinced it was a pigeon hawk but in spite of 

 Ernie's encouragement we were unable to eliminate the disturber of 

 his jays. Dall remarked that pigeon hawks were at Nulato all the 

 year round (Dall and Bannister, 1869) . 



The Nunamiut name is Kidgaviatchaurah^ which means "smallest 

 hawk," a name which might also apply to the sparrow hawk. The 

 latter is an unusual visitor, while the pigeon hawk is considered well 

 know^n among the Nunamiut and nests among the cliffs of the Colville. 

 It seems certain that pigeon hawks also nest in the mountain valleys. 



These three specimens, together with a female collected on the 

 Alatna River, conform well with the common appearance of speci- 

 mens marked hendirei in the U. S. National Museum, and not with 

 those marked columhanus. 



Falco sparverius sparverius Linnaeus 



I saw a small hawk repeatedly hovering over the camp at Pitaich on 

 August 25, 1948. Elijah Kakena shot the bird, which I identified as 

 a female American sparrow hawk. The skin was prepared but among 

 the difficulties of travel in those days it has been lost. The Nunamiut 

 had not seen a sparrow hawk before, and it is certainly unusual in 

 the Valley. Since sparrow hawks in Alaska are known to nest as 

 far north as tree line, this bird can be called a visitor. 



Family TETRAONIDAE: Grouse, Ptarmigan 

 Canachites canadensis osgoodi Bishop 



3 males (sex of 2 Sept. 13-Oct. 9 weight (2), 611, 590 g. 



determined 

 only by 

 plumage) 



1 male (sent to Feb. 23, 1948 



Q. M, Sutton) 



2 females Oct 3, 1950 weight 649, 734 g. 



Four of these Hudsonian spruce grouse were obtained from the head 

 of the Savioyuk River and one from the upper John River. All 

 were from forested country. The male taken February 23, 1948, at 

 Hunt Fork, was sent to Dr. G. M. Sutton and kindly identified by 

 him. A female taken May 13 near Anchorage weighed 577 grams 

 and possessed little fat, while the autumn specimens in the mountains 

 were fat. 



This bird, which does not venture north of the forest, inhabits the 

 northern tree limits, often so abundantly that it is important as food 

 for hunting parties. When the Nunamiut sometimes go in winter to 

 the timber for trapping, they know the spruce grouse as Napaktom 

 Kadgia, which means grouse of the spruce. 



