BIRDS OF THE NORTHERN STATES 207 
gray ; most of lower parts white, spotted and barred with reddish ; tail 
silver gray irregularly barred with blackish. This hawk flies low over 
prairies, fields and marshes ; it perches low and may often be seen alight- 
ing on a slight elevation or in the grass. Feeds on insects, mice, gophers, 
etc. Nest, on the ground, in marshes. A good friend of the farmer. 
Common S.R. 
332 Sharp-shinned Hawk. Length, male, 11 inches; female, 134 
inches. 
This is a small hawk living in wooded regions, where it nests in trees. 
It flies swiftly and low; is very daring, and creates consternation when 
Swainson Hawk SpaRRow Hawk 
it comes among other birds. Lives on insects, mice and birds, including 
poultry when available. Grayish brown above, whitish, streaked with 
brown below; tail has blackish cross bars and a white tip; legs and tail 
especially long. S.R. 
342 Swainson Hawk. Length, male, 19 inches; female, 22 inches. 
A large, dark-colored hawk. Under side somewhat lighter, — a cin- 
namon-red or brown patch on the breast, the rest blotched and barred 
with brown and blackish and whitish markings ; tail has numerous black- 
ish bars. The color of this bird is very variable, sometimes the entire 
plumage is blackish. This is the most common hawk on the prairies of 
the Dakotas, also occurring eastward at least to the Mississippi River. 
Lives almost exclusively on gophers, mice, and insects, and is one of our 
most valuable birds. Common S.R. 
