The Harris Hawk 



range, from which all other species of Raptores are driven off. At any 

 rate I have never found the Western Red-tailed or Swainson's Hawks, 

 the most common kinds found, breeding in the vicinity of a pair of 

 Goshawks" (Bendire). 



No. 330 



Harris's Hawk 



A. O. U. No. 335. Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi (Audubon). 



Description. — Adult (sexes alike): General body plumage sooty black; the 

 "shoulders," i. e., bend of wing with lesser wing-coverts, the axillars, lining of wings, 

 and lengthened tibia?, rich dark chestnut; basal half of tail with upper and lower 

 coverts white, and the tip of tail white for about an inch. Bill blackish; feet (drying) 

 yellow with black claws. Immature birds are more brownish black and the chestnut 

 is less pure; under wing-coverts, abdomen, tibiae, tail, etc., variously barred. Length 

 of male about 508 (20.00); wing 330.2 (13.00); tail 228.6 (9.00); tarsus 80.5 (3.17). 

 Length of females up to 609.6 (24.00); wing 355.6 (14.00); tail 279.4 (11.00). 



Recognition Marks. — Gull size; black coloration set off by rich chestnut; tail 

 white on basal half. 



Nesting. — Nest: Of sticks, lined with bark and grass; placed at moderate 

 heights in trees or cactus. Eggs: 2 to 4; pale bluish white, sometimes spotted or 

 irregularly blotched with dull rufous (cinnamon-fawn color) or vinaceous gray. 

 Av. size 54 x 42 (2.126 x 1.65); index 77.7. Season: April 10-June 10; one brood. 



Range of Parabuteo unicinctus. — Southern borders of the United States south 

 to Chile and Argentina. 



Range of P. u. harrisi. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone in the southern border 

 states from southeastern California to southern Mississippi and south to Cape San 

 Lucas and Panama. 



Occurrence in California. — Resident in the valley of the lower Colorado 

 River. Also casual near San Diego (Mission Valley, Nov. 17, 1912 — Gray). 



Authorities. — A. O. U. Check-List, 2nd. ed., 1895, p. 129 ("westward to 

 Calif."); Grinnell. Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 3, 1902, p. 77; Stephens, Condor, vol. v., 

 I 9°3> P- 77 (Colorado Valley); Grey, Condor, vol. xv., 1913, p. 128 (Mission Valley, 

 near San Diego) ; Bancroft, Condor, vol. xxii., 1920, p. 156 (Imperial County, breeding). 



PARABUTEO means near-Buteo or almost-a-Buteo; but harrisi is 

 quite a beauty if he is not quite a Buteo. Indeed, he is rather the hand- 

 somest of our hawks, especially if seen a-wing or down-sun, where the 

 values of the white tail-coverts, terminal white tail-band, and chestnut 

 epaulets may be developed in contrast with the rich black of the remaining 

 plumage. He does bear a striking resemblance to the Buteos both in 

 pose and in voice. The Harris Hawk has the same habit of posting in a 

 conspicuous place, a tree-top or a telegraph pole, to guard against enemies 



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