The Red-bellied Hawk 



Nesting. — Nest: Of sticks, lined indifferently with bark-strips; placed well 

 up in tree, eucalyptus, sycamore, or live oak. Eggs: 2 to 4; in coloration much like 

 those of preceding species, but usually much more heavily pigmented, sometimes with 

 considerable undershell marking of vinaceous gray. Av. of 14 sets, 38 eggs: 52.8 x 

 41.0, (2.08 x 1.65); index 79. 3. Extremes: 47.75-56.9 by 40.1-43.7 (1.88-2.24 by 1.58- 

 1.72). Season: March 20-April 10; one brood. 



Range of Buleo lineatus. — North America from the southern Canadian provinces 

 to Florida, northern Mexico, and Lower California. 



Range of B. I. elegans. — Pacific Coast district from southern British Columbia 

 to Lower California and Sonora. 



Distribution in California. — Fairly common resident locally in Lower Sonoran 

 zone west of the Sierras. Occurs chiefly in the San Joaquin-Sacramento basin and in 

 the warm valleys of the south central coastal ranges and in the San Diegan district. 



Authorities. — Gambel (Buteo lineatus), Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. iii.. 

 1846, p. 45 (Monterej', etc.; voice); Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. vii., 1855, 

 p. 281 (Buteo elegans, orig. desc. ; Calif.) ; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, vol. i., 1892, 

 p. 227 (nesting habits); Sharp, Condor, vol. viii., 1906, p. 144, figs. (San Diego Co.; 

 desc. nest, eggs, etc.); Pierce, Condor, vol. xxi., 1919, p. 127 (food). 



ALTHOUGH the Red-shouldered Hawk of the eastern United 

 States is one of the best-known of Raptors, the western representative 

 of the species seems to be not well known, save by a few fortunately placed 

 observers. The range of elegans is much restricted, both locally and gen- 

 erally, as compared with that of B. borealis caluriis; and in those limited 

 sections the species ap- 

 pears to be sharply on 

 the wane. It is best 

 known from the western 

 valleys of San Diego 

 County, from the Sac- 

 ramento-Joaquin basin, 

 and from the interior 

 valleys of the Monterey- 

 Santa Barbara system of 

 coast ranges. It is, more- 

 over, closely confined to 

 the lowland timbered 

 sections, especially the 

 groves (whether of oak, 

 willow, cottonwood, or 

 sycamore) which line the 

 streams. Because of its 

 attachment for cover, 

 therefore, it does not fig- 



1684 



Taken near San Diego Photo by L. Huey and D. R. Dickey 



NEST AND EGGS OF RED-BELLIED HAWK 



