THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Klagazine of Popular Ornithology. 



Pciblisijed Moi)tbly. 



Volume I. (New Series). FEBRUARY, 1902. Number 2. 



NOTES ON THE HABITS OF THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK 



{BUTEO PLATYPTERUS) IN THE VICINITY OF 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



By J. H. Riley. 



The Broad-winged Hawk is not an uncommon breeding bird in the vicinity 

 of Washinojton, selecting rather open woods, probably for the reason that 

 heavy timber is scarce near the District. This is a departure from its usual 

 habits in the north, I am told. It is of a rather sluggish and solitary disposi- 

 tion and rarely more than one pair are found in the same piece of timber, at 

 least in the nesting season. 



In the early part of April, the pair select a site for their future nest and 

 begin in a leisurely manner to build; then the birds become very bold and I 

 have known them to come straight towards me and to alight overhead, when 

 all I could see of the future home were a few sticks that appeared to have be- 

 come lodged in a crotch by accident. The owners of this framework for a 

 prospective home relieved my mind of any doubt I might have had on the sub- 

 ject by giving their call note, which is a low whistle, sounding to me like the 

 syllables kill-e-e-e, kill-e-e-e. This cry is never given in a hurry or in 

 quick succession in my experience. It might with propriety be called the 

 nest-call, as I have never heard it except in the vicinity of the nest or near a 

 site selected for a nest. In regard to the latter statement, I will say that I 

 have heard this cry when no nest was to be seen, but believe the site had al- 

 ready been selected, as on several occasions of this kind, in going back to the 

 vicinity later in the season, I have discovered the nest, which I hardly believe 

 I would have missed if it had been there on my former visits. Though only 

 one bird may be present when a nest is first discovered, the other soon appears 

 after the warning whistle has been given, showing that it was not far off. 



Fresh eggs may be looked for from the first week in May until the first 

 week in June. ; jl believe but one brood is reared in a season, unless the^first 



