Recognition Alarks. — Brant size ; red tail of adult distinctive ; otherwise 

 known by large size, lighter under parts, and, with certainty, by stout tarsi. 



Nest. — At middle or upper heights in trees ; of sticks, carelessly lined with 

 corn-pith, drying leaves, etc. Sometimes an old Crowd's nest is refitted. Eggs, 

 2-4, bluish white, stained, spotted, or blotched with reddish brown. Av. size, 

 2.40x1.83 (61.X46.5). 



General Range. — Eastern North America west to the Great Plains, north to 

 about latitude 60°, south to eastern Mexico. Breeds throughout its range except 

 possibly the extreme southern portion. 



Among the Birds of Prey, this is one of the largest of the Hawks, and 

 stands next to the famihar Sparrow Hawk in ease of identification. Only one 

 of the birds which are commonly called Hawks is larger, and that one, the 

 American Rough-leg, is found only during the winter months in small numbers 

 in northern Ohio. Furthermore, the Rough-leg is a bird of the twilight, while 

 the Red-tail is most active during bright days. But if you would know the Red- 

 tail certainly you must learn to notice the uniformly colored tail. There may be 

 one dark band near the tip, but the rest of the tail will be some shade of rufous 

 or brown, without bands of any color. One also soon learns to see a certain 

 majestic movement in the soaring flight, a more dignified wing stroke, and withal, 

 a certain appearance of strength and power not manifest among the smaller 

 hawks, particularly the smaller Red-shouldered. 



In spite of the fact that this bird sometimes visits the poultry-yard, and may 

 feast daintily upon sparrow or pigeon, I cannot help admiring him. His sagacity 

 is shown in the selection of a nesting site, which is the taller and less easily acces- 

 sible trees, and in his habit of showing himself as little as possible in the vicinity 

 of his nest, except high above it. To the initiated the whereabouts of that care- 

 fully arranged bundle of sticks may be guessed from the manner in which the 

 high-soaring bird behaves. Unless the nest is actually threatened there is no 

 demonstration of hostility, but a dignified, watchful indifiference to an unwar- 

 ranted meddling with private affairs. But once threaten the nest and the speck 

 in the upper air descends like a bolt out of a clear sky, swerving aside just at the 

 point of contact and sweeping upward again for a renewed attack. Even the 

 fiercest birds will not actually strike the human intruder, much as he may deserve 

 punishment, but the angry scream and the booming air beneath the half-closed 

 wings, try the nen^es of the bravest, while he is perched in the lofty tree-tops. 



Much abuse has been heaped upon this bird's head, the most of it unwar- 

 ranted. Careful study has proved that chickens are molested only when other 

 food is unobtainable. And when birds have been killed in the act of raiding 

 the poultry-yard they have been young birds, for the most part. On the other 

 hand, the harmful animals and insects which this hawk destroys far overbalance 

 the depredations upon poultry. It is no more fair that all hawks should be killed 

 because one occasionally destroys chickens than it is to kill all cats because one 

 sometimes becomes a chicken killer. 



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