yo Bird Life Stories 



as the remaining parts of the body. Both parents assist in 

 incubation, and are very soHcitous in the care of their family. 

 No other birds are allowed to come in the vicinity of their 

 nest at such times without subjecting themselves to a vicious 

 attack, and it makes no difference if the intruder has greatly 

 the advantage in size, for they will attack a Swainson's or a 

 Red-tailed Hawk as readily as any other bird. 



While in search of food these handsome little falcons fre- 

 quently arrest their swift flight instantly, hovering suspended 

 over the spot whefe their prey is supposed to be found. Their 

 food consists principally of small rodents, grasshoppers and 

 other insects, and larvse of various kinds; lizards and small 

 snakes are also eaten by them, and occasionally, when other 

 provender is scarce, especially in winter, small birds have to 

 suffer. Grasshoppers, when attainable, form the bulk of 

 their fare, and it is amusing to watch them catch and dispose 

 of the latter, handling them as expertly as a squirrel does 

 a nut. And no sooner has one been caught and swallowed 

 than they are after another. They seize them with their 

 talons, both while on the wing and on the ground. After 

 gorging themselves, they return to some favorite perch on a 

 dead limb of a tree standing on the edge of a prairie or 

 meadow, or to the top or the crossbars of a telegraph-pole, 

 and sometimes to the wire itself. In the west, where these 

 little Hawks are abundant, every such pole in sight stretching 

 across a prairie may sometimes be seen occupied by this or 

 some larger species. These poles appear to be very attractive 

 to all the Raptores, affording them an unobstructed view of 

 the surroundings. The common call of the Sparrow-hawk 

 is a shrill kee-hee, kee-hee, repeated several times. 



