199 
of the back, white underparts with little marking, contrasting thighs, and white tail, 
or tail gradually whitening towards base, make the best distinction from those species. 
The black phase is very difficult to recognize except by the white bases of the primaries 
that often show as a flash of white on the upperwing surface when that member is extended 
to its fullest (Figure 220), a character that is not visible in the normal flight attitudes of 
the other comparable species except the American Rough-leg. 
The typical Ferruginous Rough-leg in flight, seen from Ibelow, shows a dark V-mark 
with apex under the tail, formed by the deeply coloured thighs and tarsi brought together 
at the closely held feet. 
Wing of Ferruginous Rough-legged 
Hawk (viewed from above, 
showing white at base of 
primaries); scale, $. 
Figure 221 
Wide bill of Ferruginous Rough- 
legged Hawk; natural size. 
Distribution. Western North America, a bird of the prairies. In Canada, breeding 
from western Manitoba to the mountains, north to prairie limits and southward. Not 
yet satisfactorily identified in British Columbia, though it has been noted in the state 
of Washington and occurs regularly in California. 
The largest but the least harmful and most beneficial of our Hawks. 
It builds immense, bulky nests in the cottonwoods and poplars in the 
coulees, on shelves and pinnacles of the bad lands, or even on steep, smooth 
hillsides. These nests are repaired and added to year after year until 
they assume enormous proportions. One such was noted on a sloping 
bank in the Red Deer River bad lands, built to a height of about 10 feet. 
The base was old, rotten, and compressed, and seemingly of great age; the 
top was loose, fresh, and in occupation. Some nests are in such easily 
accessible situations that the wonder is — how they can escape the depre- 
dations of the ever-prowling coyote. Perhaps they do not, for though 
many old nests are encountered in such positions, most of them are small, 
denoting short occupation, and few are in use at present. 
This is a magnificent bird, and should be far more numerous than it 
is. In out of the way localities it is still common, but it is not particularly 
wary and disappears more rapidly than other Hawks when its habitat is 
invaded by settlement. It is to be seen often enough on the great grazing 
leases, but in agricultural communities, where it is most necessary, it seems 
doomed to disappear before the ill-judged prejudice against hawks in general. 
The Ferruginous Rough-leg is the Ground-squirrel or Gopher Hawk 
par excellence , and well deserves the name. The number of these pests 
destroyed by them is astonishing. We have no evidence that, through the 
period of their stay in this country, they ever touch anything but small 
mammals, and their record is absolutely clear. One nest examined by the 
writer in the bad lands of Red Deer river contained the fresh remains of 
several gophers, and in a small hollow immediately under the nest was 
nearly a bushel of fragments of similar prey, dried bits of furry skin, tails 
and feet, and such small discards from innumerable meals. The number 
