

Order ACCIPITEIFOEMES.] 



[Family FALCONIME. 



NESIEEAX AITS T KALIS. 



(BUSH-HAWK.) 



Harpa ferox (Peale), Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. i., p. 220. 



At Waipuna, in Hawke's Bay, I saw, on March 17th, a young Bush-Hawk boldly attack 

 a litter of kittens, whilst actually under the protection of the maternal cat ! It seized 

 one of them and lifted it some feet in the air. The quarry managed, however, to disengage 

 itself and dropped to the ground. The hawk, which, from its size, I took to be a female, 

 then settled on the dry limb of a tree close by, apparently to await another opportunity ; and 

 there we left her, balancing her body in an almost horizontal position, and looming large 

 against the clear blue sky beyond. 



Marklund showed me a young bird of this species shot on Stewart Island, where, 

 however, the species is now very rare. 



I have recorded (2nd ed., vol. i., pp. 223-4) my experiences with one of these fierce little 

 hawks which I had brought up from the nest. It became much attached to its compartment of 

 my aviary and, on being let out, would voluntarily return to it. It was, however, quite intolerant 

 of neighbours and on one occasion tore off the head of an inquisitive Piopio (Turnagra 

 tanagra) who had inadvertently exposed it from an adjoining compartment. It was at all 

 times fierce and remorseless, and showed none of the tenderness exhibited by the hero of the 

 following newspaper story : — 



Even a Sparrow Hawk, cruel as it is supposed to be, is not devoid of pity for a victim which has for 

 some unaccountable reason gained its affection. At Pinner there is just now, within an aviary in one of 

 the hostelries there, a Sparrow and a Sparrow-Hawk dwelling together in peace and concord. Some time 

 ago the Sparrow was given to the other for food, but by a freak of fancy the Hawk took pity on it, 

 and to preserve its life went without dinner that day. Since then the two have lived together on the 

 most friendly terms, but if another Sparrow is put into the cage the Hawk rends it to pieces remorselessly. 



I have mentioned the loud continuous screaming of the Bush-Hawk as a sure indication 

 of bad weather approaching. Mr. W. W. Smith writes that he has tested and proved this on 

 many occasions, in the Lake Brunner district of the South Island, and, according to his 

 experience, the days on which they perform their high screaming flights are followed by nights 

 of continuous and loud calling of the Weka and Kiwi, both of which birds are equally good 

 indicators of a coming change. 





