18 Iowa Ornithologist. 



other lurds, as Elaek birds, Doves, PiKeons, Meadow Larks and various ^nme 

 birds. It lives partly on bares, where these are abundant, and on small rodents 

 of various kinds ; but this is the case when other food is scare. 



{LS)— Fdl en ])(']'<' grinns (t nil funi. DUCK HAWK. 



The Duck Hawk, or Peregrine Falcon, resident in Iowa, and might almost 

 be classed as a rare bird. It certainly cannot be called common. It is the 

 boldest of our birds of prey, and it would seem that, from an economic stand- 

 p( int, it is almost indefensible. Its food consists of the different species of 

 Ducks ; game birds, such as Bob Whites, Pigeons and Grouse ; Hares, various 

 small birds and domestic fowls. 



{ 19)-Ffdco columharius. PIGEON HAWK. 



Tins bird is occasionally seen in Iowa during the fall and winter seasons, 

 but it is rare that a pair breeds here, as the great majority spend the spring and 

 summer farther north or in higher altitudes than are found in Iowa. The food 

 of the Pigeon Hawk consists, to a great extent, of small birds. It is said that it 

 will not hesitate to attack one fully as large or even larger than itself. Its diet 

 in summer is made of insects, as grasshoppers, crickets, etc. 



(2())—F((1cos])arr<'rius. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 



The little Sparrow Hawk is a common summer resident in Iowa. On ac- 

 count of its size it has often been confounded with the Sharp-.shinned Hawk, 

 and has been acciLsed of sins which should have been laid to the charge of this 

 latter species. Although the Sparrow Hawk sometimes kills small birds, 

 especially in winter when food is scarce, yet its food is made up for the most 

 part of small rodents, insects and larvae of various kinds, lizards and small 

 snakes. When grasshoppers are abundant they form the bulk of its fare. 



(21)—Ffn}(Uon haliaefus carolinensis. AMERICAN OSPREY. 



Economically the American Osprey seems to have little effect either for 

 good or evil. According to Capt. Charles Bendire of the U. S. Army, "The 

 food of the Osprey consists entirely of fish, and these are usually the inferior 

 species, such as are seldom used for the table." Although the bird is nearly 

 cosmopolitan in distribution, it is uncommon in Iowa ; at least it is a rare species 

 in the vicinity of Mt. Vernon. 



(2fi)—Sfruv praHncola . AMERICAN BARN OWL. 



The Barn Owl is rare north of latitude 41°, and so is not common in Iowa. 

 Few birds are more valuable from an economic standpoint than the Owl, though 

 it is subject to much persecution from the mistaken supposition that it robs 

 the poultiy yard. This supposition gains its plausibility from the fact that the 

 bird is so commonly seen in the neighborhood of barns and outhouses. As a 

 matter of fact the Barn Owl subsists almost entirely on noxious vermiue, as 

 mice, rats, ground squirrels, pouched gophers, small reptiles, bats, frogs and 

 such insects as crickets, grasslioppers and beetles. It is rare that a small bird 



