462 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph from Louis Agassiz Fuertes 



THE SHRIKE ON HIS LOOKOUT 



His business is to espy the passing falcon afar, and by his excitement and clamor to inform 

 the trapper of the hawk's approach (see text, page 435). 



of the smaller Sharpshin, whose habits 

 are equally destructive, but the quarry is 

 smaller, in keeping with the size of the 

 bird. 



THE BIRD-KILLING FALCONS ARE NOT 

 COMMON 



The long-winged true falcons, which 

 include the Duck Hawk or Peregrine, 

 Prairie Falcon, and Pigeon Hawk, as well 

 as the powerful Gerfalcons of the far 

 north, are all great bird-killers, and it is 

 fortunate that they are nowhere common. 

 These splendid birds all kill on the wing, 

 ignoring sitting prey, and while we must 

 admire the skill, speed, and grace with 



which they strike and the nobility of their 

 courage, it is true that they do much 

 damage on game covers and preserves, 

 appearing in numbers when game be- 

 comes abundant. 



The Gerfalcons are too rare to be eco- 

 nomically important, but the Duck Hawk- 

 is found in small numbers all over 

 America and must be considered an un- 

 desirable bird. It can take care of itself, 

 however, rarely falling to the gun and 

 avoiding traps with uncanny skill. 



In the more arid portions and in the 

 mountains of the West the pale-brown 

 Prairie Falcon is not rare. This species 

 is less partial to water and feeds exten- 



