142 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



R. H. Dean saw one at Anniston, February 6, 1916. Graves 

 reports the bird fairly common on Sand Mountain. 



General habits. — This little falcon somewhat resembles the 

 sparrow hawk in its manner of flight, but has less of the 

 erratic, butterfly style of locomotion characteristic of the lat- 

 ter; nor does the pigeon hawk hover when seeking its prey, 

 but flies with quick, nervous strokes of the long wings or 

 dashes swiftly into thickets in pursuit of the smaller birds, 

 which furnish its principal food. It sometimes attacks birds 

 larger than itself and has been known to kill the swift-flying 

 passenger pigeon. It is usually quite unsuspicious of man. 



Food habits. — The food of the pigeon hawk, according to 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher, consists mainly of small and medium-sized 

 birds, especially the gregarious species, insects, and occa- 

 sionally small mammals. Among the birds found in the stom- 

 achs examined were the flicker, bobolink, thrushes, vireos, 

 warblers, swallows, and numerous species of sparrows. The 

 insects eaten include dragonflies, grasshoppers, crickets, and 

 beetles.f This bird occasionally proves destructive to tame 

 pigeons and young chickens, although usually it confines its 

 depredations to wild birds. 



SPARROW HAWK : Cerchneis sparveria sparveria 

 (Linnaeus) .t 



State records. — The northern and larger race of the spar- 

 row hawk occurs not uncommonly all over the State during 

 the winter season, mingling freely with the southern race 

 (paula). In the breeding season it is found only in the north- 

 ern part, south of Coosa County. Graves reports the bird a 

 common breeder on Sand Mountain, and McCormack records 

 it common during late summer, fall, and winter, at Leighton, 

 one instance being known of its nesting on La Grange Moun- 

 tain. Two specimens taken in the breeding season are in the 

 Biological Surv.ey collection, one taken by Gutsell at Mount 

 Weogufka, June 17, 1911, and one by Peters at Ardell, June 

 17, 1914, both being typical examples of sparveria. The 

 species is reported by Saunders "quite abundant" in the Weo- 



tFisher, A. K., Biol. Sarv., Bull. 3, Div. Omith. and Msniin., p. 110, 1893. 

 tFalco sparverias sparrerins of the A. O. U. Check-list ; for change of name see The 

 Auk, vol. 34, p. 201, 1917. 



