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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 



{Accipitcr velox velox) 



This small hawk, one of the most widely 

 distributed of the group in North Amer- 

 ica, is an inhabitant of thickets and wood- 

 land. It may be readily identified by its 

 short wings and long tail, the square end of 

 the latter distinguishing it from the larger 

 Cooper's hawk. Though fiercely preda- 

 tory, flying swiftly in pursuit of prey, 

 this bird spends long periods in resting 

 quietly in trees or bushes. As it usually 

 perches among limbs or leaves, it is often 

 overlooked until it ilies. 



The sharp-shin feeds almost entirely on 

 birds and is highly destructive. Although 

 it preys mainly on small species, such as 

 sparrows, warblers, and similar forms, it 

 does not hesitate to attack birds as large as 

 itself, regularly killing quail, mourning 

 doves, and flickers. 



In southward migration in fall, these 

 hawks often follow definite lines of flight, 

 so that thousands may pass leisurely by 

 certain points in the course of a few days. 

 Sometimes during these flights stuffed 

 owls are used as decoys to attract the 

 hawks, so that they may be shot. 



The sharp-shinned hawk makes a bulky 

 nest of twigs, sometimes without an inner 

 lining, but often with a slight padding of 

 soft bark or a few feathers. The nest is 

 frequently placed in pines or spruces 

 against the trunk of a projecting limb from 

 20 to 50 or more feet from the ground. 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS WILL FIGHT 

 FIERCELY FOR THEIR NESTS 



Three to five eggs usually make a set, 

 though as many as seven have been found 

 in one nest. The ground color is pale 

 bluish or greenish white, blotched and 

 marbled with brown and lavender. The 

 sharp-shin is bold in defense of its nest and 

 I have had one strike fiercely at me, re- 

 turning with chattering calls to the attack 

 time after time. 



The immature sharp-shin has the under- 

 parts longitudinally streaked with dusky. 

 The female is much larger than the male. 



This species breeds throughout most of 

 the United States and Canada from the 

 northern limit of trees south to Florida, 

 Texas, and south-central California. In 

 winter it is found from British Columbia 

 and the northern United States south to 

 Panama. Allied races are found in the 

 Greater Antilles. 



COOPER'S HAWK 



(Accipiter cooperi) 



This hawk, in appearance and habits, is 

 a large edition of the sharp-shin. Since 

 the sexes differ markedly in size, the fe- 

 male being much larger, a small male 

 Cooper's hawk is about the size of a large 

 female sharp-shin, the rounded instead of 

 the square-ended tail offering the most evi- 

 dent character for distinguishing between 

 the two. 



The Cooper's hawk is the ogre in the 

 world of our birds. Fierce and ruthless, 

 it attacks grouse or other species as 

 large as itself, and destroys smaller birds 

 without the slightest difficulty. It darts 

 through thickets with such ease that it is 

 difficult for its victims to find cover for 

 safe sanctuary. Rabbits and other small 

 mammals, reptiles, and insects are eaten 

 occasionally. 



The bird is bold and fearless in pursuit 

 of its quarry, and has been known to re- 

 turn several times to attack a chicken, even 

 when people were present and threatening 

 it. It is one of the hawks that merits the 

 name of "chicken hawk" and must be con- 

 sidered entirely destructive. Indeed, it is 

 responsible for much of the damage in the 

 hen-yard for which its larger relatives that 

 live more in the open get the blame. It is 

 also a consistent enemy of ruffed grouse 

 and quail. 



This species often follows the lines of 

 fall migration frequented by the sharp- 

 shin, but is less abundant; so that it is 

 killed by hunters along these flyways in 

 smaller numbers. 



Cooper's hawks may appropriate the 

 last year's nests of crows or other hawks, 

 or may build a new structure. In either 

 case the nests are composed of coarse twigs 

 lined with finer material of the same kind, 

 the whole frequently mixed with frag- 

 ments of bark. 



The eggs range from three to five in 

 number, with the ground bluish white or 

 greenish white, sometimes plain, but more 

 often spotted with brown. In the nesting 

 season the Cooper's hawk is quite noisy, 

 uttering loud, harsh notes that are rapidly 

 repeated. The immature bird is streaked 

 underneath with dusty. 



The Cooper's hawk nests from south- 

 ern British Columbia, southern Quebec 

 and Nova Scotia south through the United 

 States into northern Mexico. In winter 

 it is found south into Costa Rica. 



