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Nesting. On the ground in a dry spot of the marshes, or in a hayfield. 
Distribution. The whole of the United States and Canada north to near the Arctic. 
Greeds throughout its range in Canada. 
One of our commonest Hawks, being found almost anywhere in Canada. 
It haunts the open marshes, meadows, and fields and is to be seen beating 
up and down, quartering and covering the ground like a well -trained bird- 
dog. For an instant it hovers over its intended prey and then drops 
upon it, rising a moment later to alight on a fence-post or other similar 
slight elevation to devour its captive. The young are unsuspicious, 
but the blue adults are amongst the wariest of birds and fall to the gun 
comparatively seldom. 
Marsh Hawk (adult male); scale, 
Appearance in flight. 
Economic Status. Of 116 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry 
or game-birds; 34, other birds; 57, mice; 22, other mammals; 7, reptiles; 
2, frogs; 14, insects; and 1, indeterminate matter. Thus of 144 food 
items 41 were harmful, 93 useful, and 10 neutral. Of the 41 harmful 
items, only 3 were domestic fowl, and the remainder wild stock, consisting 
of 46 individuals of considerably less value than the domestic varieties. 
The mice and other mammals included about 117 individuals. The 
insects were mostly locusts, grasshoppers, and beetles. The balance 
is evidently in favour of this species, which is incapable of taking any 
fowl but small ones and then only when they wander into its habitat. 
Keeping spring chickens close about the premises is an almost perfect 
protection against this bird. Haunting marshes, grassy meadows, and 
tangled dry sloughs, as it does, it is the natural enemy of field-mice and 
probably does as much to keep their numbers within bounds as any other 
single natural influence. 
Probably on the whole, and certainly in strictly agricultural country, 
the Marsh Hawk is considerably more beneficial than harmful. For a 
few weeks in early summer, when the marshes throng with small Ducks 
and the young Prairie Chickens are on the uplands, it often engages in ques- 
tionable pursuits and considerable numbers of half-grown game birds become 
its prey. However, as soon as these immatures become too large and sturdy 
for so light a raptore to handle, it once again turns to mice and lesser 
