390 THE PIGEON HAWK. 



No. 173. 



PIGEON HAWK. 



A. O. U. No. 357. Falco columbarius Linn. 



Description. — Old male: Above bluish gray or dark slaty blue; feathers 

 with black shafts and pale or rusty edges; general color usually interrupted by 

 outcropping white or bufi'y on nape ; tip of wing formed by second primary ; first 

 shorter than third ; first and second sharply notched on the inner web ; the second 

 and third slightly emarginate on the outer web; inner webs of all quills barred 

 or spotted with whitish ; outer webs with traces of ashy markings ; tail darkening 

 posteriorly, white-tipped, and crossed by four narrow, whitish bars, the anterior one 

 concealed; below white or whitish, nearly immaculate on throat, darkening post- 

 eriorly to tawny or ochraceous, heavily streaked with dark umber, sometimes 

 changing to bars on the flanks ; sides of throat and cheeks finely penciled with 

 umber ; iris brown ; bill and claws blue-black ; feet yellow ; cere and base of bill 

 greenish yellow. This high plumage is quite rare. Adult female and male in 

 usual dress : Above dark umber-brown, glaucous or not, the head varied by much 

 buffy or rusty edging, with blackish central streaks; wing-spots ochraceous-buflE ; 

 tail with pattern as before, but blackening toward tip, and with ochraceous-buff 

 cross-bars ; below darker buffy all over, or tawny medially as well as posteriorly ; 

 streaking of variable intensity. Immature : Perhaps lighter above,- and with 

 more ochraceous-buffy edging; otherwise not appreciably, or at least constantly, 

 different from adult. Adult male length 10.00-11.50 (254. -292.1) ; wing 7.00 

 (177.8); tail 4.90 (124.5); bill .48 (12.2). Adult female length 12.00-13.00 

 (304.8-330.2); wing 8.50 (215.9) ; tail 5.40 ( 137-2) ; bill .57 (M-S)- 



Recognition Marks. — "Little Hawk" size ; swift flight ; sharp wings ; stout 

 proportions otherwise ; heavily umber-streaked lower parts. 



Nest, in hollow limbs of trees or in crannies about cliffs. Bggs, 4 or 5, creamy- 

 white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or chocolate, or else cinnamon- 

 brown sprinkled and dotted with heavier shades of the same color. Av. size, 1.62 

 X 1.22 (41.2 X 30.9). 



General Range. — North America at large, south to the West Indies and 

 northern South America. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 



Range in Ohio. — Not common winter visitor, or spring and fall migrant 

 throughout the state. Formerly bred in northern part of the state but no recent 

 records. 



IF a careful scrutiny of all little hawks is maintained throughout the 

 winter and early spring, the search will be rewarded now and .then by the 

 sight of a bird whose movement is a little more rapid and dashing than that of 

 the ubiquitous Sparrow Hawk. The wings seem to reach forward with a 

 stroke like that of a strong swimmer, and altogether there is an indefinable 

 air of quality and power about- the diminutive Pigeon Plawk, which does not 

 pertain to his less spirited cousin. Not content with the humble quarry which 



