PIGEON HAWK. 



109 



audacious "bird, attacking and killing prey twice its own weight. Nev- 

 ertheless in some cases it seems to be tyrannized over by the much 

 weaker Marsh Hawk, as several writers have witnessed the latter bird 

 drive it from recently killed quarry. 



DESCRIPTION. 



First and second wing feathers equal and longest. 



Adult. — Top of head black, decidedly darker than back; chest 

 creamy buff, buffy white, or pure white, often unspotted, never very 

 heavily spotted with blackish. 



Immature. — Lower parts streaked with dusky. In Peale's falcon the 

 top of the head is dark slaty, uniform with back ; chest heavily spotted 

 with blackish. 



Length: 15.50 to 20 inches (393 to 508 mm ); extent, 38.50 to 42 inches 

 (978 to 1068 mra ); wing, 11.30 to 14.75 inches (28G to 374 mm ); tail, 6 

 to 9 inches (152 to 228 mm ). 



Table showing the results of examinations of 20 stomachs of the Duck Hawk 

 (Falco jperegrinus anatum). 



Locality. 



Date. 



Poultry 



or game 



birds. 



Other birds. 



Mammals. 



Miscellaneous. 



Portland, Conn 



East Bradford, Pa 



Do 



Apr. 29, 1886 

 Feb. 14,1886 

 Mar. 27, 1880 

 Oct. 28,1887 

 Dec. 3, 1887 

 Oct. 6, 1880 



Oct. 1, 1884 

 Oct. 4, 1884 

 Sept. 28, 1887 

 Oct. 1, 1889 

 Aug. 13, 1884 

 Sept. 15, 1884 



May 7,1885 

 July 10, 1885 

 July 30, 1885 



May 27, 1886 

 Aug. 2,1886 



May 11, 1887 

 Dec. 19,1891 

 do 



Duck . . . 

















Fowl . . . 









Watkins NY... 





















Sayville N. Y 





G-r ay -checked 

 thrush, war- 

 bler, robin, 

 catbird. 













Dragon-flies. 



Do 



Duck . . . 







Plymouth, Mass 

















Empty. 



Camp Verde, Ariz 



Do 











Mourning dove, 

 crissal thrasher. 













Empty. 

 Do. 



Camp Verde, Ariz 



Do 









Gambel's 

 quail. 









Do 







Empty. 



Do 



Cinna- 

 monteal. 







Do 









Lancaster County, Pa. 

 Do 



Chicken. 

 do .. 



























Summary.— Of 20 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry or game birds ; 

 2, insects, and 4 were empty. 



PIGEON HAWK. 



other birds; 1, mice; 



Falco columbarius. 

 [Plate 16— Immature.] 



The Pigeon Hawk inhabits the whole of North America from the Arctic 

 Ocean southward to the West Indies, Central America, and northern 

 South America. It breeds chiefly north of parallel 43°, though in the 

 mountains it extends south of this latitude, and in the mountains of 



