The Marsh Hawk 



By WILLIAM DUTCHER 



Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male. — General appearance above bluish gray, darker on hindneck and lower 

 back. Terminal half of long wing feathers almost black. Tail bluish, with seven or 

 eight blackish bands; all except two central feathers with much white. Under parts, 

 throat and upper breast ash-gray; all of balance white, quite profusely decorated with 

 light brown dashes, lines and heart-shaped spots. 



Adult Female. — General appearance above dark brown, some feathers with large whitish 

 or light cinnamon-brown spots; tail brownish, broadly barred with blackish and very pale 

 cinnamon. Under parts of body whitish, profusely marked with very large shaft streaks of 

 pale hair-brown on breast and cinnamon-brown on lower belly and thighs. Under parts 

 of wings and tail very broadly barred with whitish. 



Immature. — Somewhat similar to female but darker above and under parts almost en- 

 tirely rich rufous, streaked with black on upper breast and flanks. Bars in tail cinnamon 

 instead of whitish. 



Size. — Male, from end of bill to tip of tail about 19 to 20 inches; female is much 

 larger, 22 to 24 inches. Both sexes have black bills and claws and yellowish or flesh- 

 colored legs and feet. 



Distinguishing Marks. — The owl -like disk of short feathers about face; the very long 

 tail ; the very conspicuous patch of white feathers at base of tail, which show distinctly 

 when flying; the slow, deliberate manner of flight, which is usually close to the ground. 



Nest. — Always placed on ground in marsh, meadow or prairie, in high grass, rushes, 

 or at foot of bush. It is made of dry grasses, reinforced by small sticks, and is lined with 

 a few feathers. 



Eggs. — Usually from four to six in number, of a pale greenish or bluish white color, 

 usually unmarked, although some are blotched or spotted with pale buff or brownish. 



Distribution. — The Marsh Hawk inhabits all of North America, breeding from the 

 south Atlantic States as far north as Alaska and the Hudson Bay region. It winters 

 from about 40 degrees north latitude as far south as Panama. 



Note. — The description of the adult female given above is from a more than usually 

 interesting specimen. It bears three labels, one of them being in the handwriting of John 

 James Audubon, as follows: "Female, June 23/43 Fort Union." The second label, reads, 

 "Coll. of G, N. Lawrence, Circus hudsonicus, 5, b.38"; on the reverse of this label in the 

 handwriting of Mr. Lawrence, is " Presented by V. G. Audubon from the collection of J. J. 

 Audubon, ?, Missouri." The third label is that of the American Museum of Natural 

 History. Although this specimen was prepared over sixty years ago, it is in a fine state of 

 preservation. 



This Hawk is commonly known by three popular names, each of which 

 relates to a special characteristic of the bird. Marsh Hawk, because it is 

 found about marshes, meadows or prairies; Mouse Hawk, from its fond- 

 ness for these stnall but destructive vermin, and Harrier, from its habit of 

 continually hunting or ravaging the homes of small mammals. It is one of 

 the most useful and valuable of all the Hawks, and the agriculturist 

 should under no circumstances ever permit one to be killed on his premises. 

 No person can fail to recognize the Marsh Hawk on sight, from its very 

 peculiar slow wing-beats, its proximity to the ground either in marsh or 



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