October, 1931 
The Queensland Naturalist 
9 
hovering while searching the ground for prey. The pecu- 
liar habit of hovering is also shared by two members of 
the Kite family, the Black-shouldered and the Letter- 
winged. 
The Kestrel is frequently shot by settlers because it 
is a hawk, and all hawks have a bad name, especially with 
those who keep poultry. 
Of the other members of the Falcon family little need 
be said, they are all bird killers, and though they do de- 
vour numbers of insects, I consider the harm they do by 
killing numbers of insect-eating birds, far outweighs the 
good they do, and it is an advantage to have them de- 
stroyed. Unfortunately, we have no books dealing with 
this subject to enlighten people, and so the good suffer 
with the bad. 
Now we come to the Goshawk family, commonly 
known as sparrow-hawks, or chicken-hawks. There are 
four members of this family in Australia, and they are 
all bird killers. Being bold and fearless they will attack 
almost any bird. They destroy numbers of young birds 
that have just left the nest. Magpie-larks being especially 
favoured by them. 
The largest member of the family, the Red Goshawk, 
is a very handsome bird, and a very daring one. I have 
known them to kill white cockatoos, and a white cockatoo 
takes some killing. I have also known them to strike down 
ducks while on the wing. 
The number of birds killed by these hawks must be 
considerable. They are very destructive in a poultry yard, 
and it is by their misdeeds that all hawks have got a bad 
name. Unfortunately the Goshawks are very wary and 
it is not easy to shoot them. They should be shot on every 
opportunity. 
Now we come to the Eagles. I have left the Eagles 
till the last, because I consider there are only two mem- 
bers of the Eagle family that really need mention. I refer 
to the Whistling Eagle ( Haliaster sphenurus) and the 
Little Eagle ( Hieraaetus niorphnoides ) . Much could be 
said in a general way about the other members of the 
Eagle family, but .Eagles are rather rare birds and the 
good, or harm, they do is pretty evenly balanced. 
Take as a sample that noble bird the Wedge-tailed Eagle 
( Uroaetus audax). I know there have been many argu- 
ments over these birds. Some people can see nothing but 
harm in them, others can see only good. My own obser- 
vations, extending over many years, is that the harm they 
do is balanced by the good. I have known them to kill 
small kangaroo, wallaby, kangaroo rats, plain turkey, 
