62 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



bones of eagles and hawks were found in 

 the excavations of the National Geographic 

 Society at Pueblo Bonito. In some cases 

 certain rooms seem to have been given up 

 to these birds. 



Occasionally hawks have been eaten for 

 human food, but this is not a widespread 

 practice. In Puerto Rico and Haiti I 

 found that in some sections the natives 

 considered the red-tailed hawk an excellent 

 meat. The sharp-shinned hawk is eaten 

 occasionally in the United States. From 

 personal experience I can say that they 

 have a fair flavor. 



HAWKS USED BY MAN IN HUNTING 



From the earliest times of which we 

 have record, hawks of various kinds have 

 been trained by man for use in hunting.* 



For this purpose young hawks are taken 

 from the nest, or adult birds are trapped 

 alive. In either case, the birds are accus- 

 tomed to man and his ways and are trained 

 to come to be fed until they are tame and 

 can be handled. They have the eyes cov- 

 ered with a soft leather hood and thongs 

 attached to their legs, by which they may 

 be tethered if desired. In hunting, trained 

 hawks are taken afield until game is 

 sighted, when the hood is removed, so that 

 the hawk may sight the quarry. 



As it flies, the hawk ordinarily maneu- 

 vers so as to rise and strike down at the 

 game from above. In the case of wily, 

 fast-flying birds, there is often a prolonged 

 pursuit, in which only the most skillful 

 hawk may hope to be victorious. 



The peregrine falcon, distributed over 

 most of the world, has been a favorite with 

 hawkers, because it is fierce and at the 

 same time is tractable in training. Sev- 

 eral other falcons have been used, but to 

 less extent. 



These birds kill their prey in swift 

 flight in air, striking a quick blow with 

 the foot that knocks the victim end over 

 end and frequently kills it outright. The 

 goshawk is also used in hunting. This 

 species kills in short, swift flight, bears its 

 prey to the ground, and holds fast with its 

 long claws until its quarry is dead. 



Among native peoples of Central Asia, 

 the golden eagle is trained to hunt small 

 antelopes, foxes, and even wolves. These 



* See "Falconry, the Sport of Kings," by Louis 

 Agassiz Fuertes, in the National Geographic 

 Magazine for December, 1920. 



heavy birds are carried afield perched on 

 horses or on stands swung between two 

 horses. In some cases they rest on a heavy 

 leathern gauntlet on the forearm of the 

 hunter, whose arm is supported in a 

 forked stick resting in the stirrup (p. 48). 



Scenes depicting hunting with hawks 

 are found among the ancient paintings in 

 the tombs of Egypt, and this sport was 

 well known in India, Asia, and Europe 

 at a very early date. Practiced originally 

 to obtain wild game for food, it finally 

 developed into the sport of the nobility and 

 the wealthy. Though it fell into decadence 

 with the development of gunpowder and 

 guns, it is even practiced to-day in a limited 

 way, both abroad and in our own country. 



Though most birds of the hawk group 

 range from large to medium in size, there 

 is considerable variation in this respect. 



The smallest are the little falconets of 

 the Indian region and Africa. They are 

 not much larger than bluebirds, but are 

 as fierce as the largest falcons. They eat 

 many insects and also kill small birds and 

 mammals. They have been known to kill 

 birds four times their own weight, and are 

 so aggressive that in captivity they often 

 dominate other hawks much larger and 

 stronger. 



The largest members of the group are 

 the larger vultures of the Old World and 

 the condors of America, which reach a 

 length of 40 to 50 inches, with a spread 

 of wings that is broad in proportion. 



The nests and eggs of hawks vary widely 

 in location and appearance. The majority 

 build nests of sticks and branches in trees, 

 where they are often located at a con- 

 siderable height from the ground. Some 

 of the larger eagles and vultures nest on 

 clififs and rock ledges, where the sites may 

 be reached only by the boldest of climbers. 



Marsh hawks nest on the ground in 

 prairie or marsh regions ; sparrow hawks 

 occupy holes in trees. Falcons lay their 

 eggs in cavities in the face of clififs, or, 

 in some species like the hobby {Falco 

 subbuteo) of Europe, occupy the aban- 

 doned nests of other hawks or of rooks 

 and similar birds. 



In some species the same nesting site is 

 used for many years in succession. Since 

 new material is added annually to the nest, 

 in many cases it may grow to huge propor- 

 tions. This is especially true with birds 

 like the ospreys and eagles. 



