The Zone-tailed Hawk 



deal of that is used in the lining and often the long streamers will hang 

 down over the edge giving a very pleasing appearance. 



"The use of green leaves is a peculiarity of this species and it is very 

 seldom one finds a nest finished or containing eggs where fresh leaves 

 are not in evidence. These are generally of the same tree in which the 

 nest is situated and are renewed from time to time until the eggs are 

 hatched. I have found them in nests with eggs in all stages of incubation. 

 After the young appear the practice is discontinued, the nest soon gets 

 flattened out, and with hungry mouths to feed there is little time — if 

 there is inclination — for the enjoyment of the merely beautiful." 



Eggs of elegans are notably less heavily marked than those of line- 

 atus, although there does not seem to be any constant difference in size. 



All authorities are agreed in giving the Red-bellied Hawk a clean 

 bill of health poultry-wise. Instances are cited where the Hawks have 

 nested within 800 feet of poultry yards without offering any molestation 

 to the inmates, not even to the young chickens. Birds are undoubtedly 

 consumed to a limited extent, especially when the young hawks require 

 the daintiest food. Elegans seeks humbler quarry as a rule than does 

 the noble Redtail. If he rises on occasion to a ground squirrel {Citellus 

 beechyi fisheri) or a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus auduboni and 5. bachmani) 

 he oftener descends to fence lizards and frogs, or even insects. The Red- 

 bellied Hawk is an exceedingly useful species, and all wanton slaughter 

 of these, as of any other Buteo, is criminal — an offense to God and man. 



No. 333 



Zone-tailed Hawk 



A. 0. U. No. 340. Buteo abbreviatus Cabanis. 



Synonym. — Band-tailed Buzzard. 



Description. — Adult: Deep lustrous black, the tail narrowly tipped with white 

 and crossed by two narrow bands, ashy gray on the outer webs changing to white on 

 the inner ones (hence, appearing gray from above, white from below) ; indications of a 

 third band near base of tail; wing-quills obsoletely black-and-white barred, or at least 

 mottled, on inner webs, especially below; feathers of nape white at base; the first four 

 primaries emarginate on inner web; the tip of the wing formed by 4th, the 3rd and 5th 

 about equal, the 1st about equal to or shorter than the 9th; tip of folded wing falling 

 short of end of tail. Bill and claws black; cere and feet yellow. Immature: Much 

 like adult, but tail crossed by about ten broad and somewhat irregular bars of gray or 

 white; the barring of inner quills much more distinct; some outcropping of basal white 

 on head and neck, and some exposure of ill-concealed white spotting on breast, flanks, 

 tail-coverts, and inner edges of tertials. Length of adult male about 482.6 (19.00); 



168/ 



