THE MARSH HAWK 71 



in the open and fertile uplands of the Mississippi Valley it is 

 one of the most conspicuous species. It loves farming regions 

 wherein members of the Mouse Family are plentiful and cheap. 

 In hunting it flies low, in a very businesslike way, just above 

 the grain or tall grass, and its intentions are so apparent that 

 the American farmer gave it credit for its good work years 

 before the true value of the once-despised "hen hawk" be- 

 came known. 



This hawk is not beautiful, either in form, color or move- 

 ment. To me it always seems to have too much sail area 

 for the size of its hull. Its adult color is drab, or bluish gray, 

 but the females and immature males are rusty brown, much 

 like the red-shouldered hawk. However, this hawk can al- 

 ways be distinguished by the large white patch on the rump, 

 just above the tail. 



One of the first facts about the nesting of hawks that 

 comes to a western farmer boy by personal observation is that 

 the Marsh Hawk nests on the ground, preferably in tall grass, 

 in a nest that is anything but a workmanlike affair. When I 

 found my first nest of this bird — a patch of trampled grass in 

 the head of a slough, with four big, downy nestlings wallow- 

 ing around upon it — the stock of the Marsh Hawk fell sev- 

 eral points in my estimation. 



This species ranges all the way from Alaska, Hudson Bay 

 and Ontario to Panama and Cuba. Regarding its value. Dr. 

 Fisher has this to say : 



"The Marsh Hawk is unquestionably one of the most 

 beneficial as it is one of our most abundant hawks, and its 

 presence and increase should be encouraged in every way 



