The Nest and Eggs of the Broad- 
winged Hawk. 
BY HARRY G. PARKER, CHESTER, PENN. 
One day in January while riding on horseback 
through Delaware County, my attention was sud- 
denly arrested by seeing three hawks nailed up, 
belly outward, against the front of a well-to-do 
farmer’s barn ; probably as a warning to their fel- 
lows that this particular rustic was bound to pro- 
tect his liens and pigeons at all odds. So unusual 
a sight prompted me to dismount and seek the 
acquaintance of the owner, and if possible gain 
some points concerning his winged foes. This 
man was only one of the vast army of country- 
men who for years have waged an unceasing 
crusade against the detested birds known to them 
as “ Hen and Chicken Hawks.” So successful 
has been this warfare, that it is a miracle, almost, 
that any members of the Haptores are bold enough 
to choose their sites, build their homes, lay eggs 
and rear young amongst their relentless enemies. 
On May 2d, however, I saw a pair of Broad- 
winged Hawks, ( Buteo pennsylvanicus ), who 
showed unmistakably that they had a nest in the 
near neighborhood, and the lateness of the season 
only confirmed my belief that they intended 
breeding with us. As I knew of no authentic in- 
stance of the eggs of this species having been tak- 
en in Delaware County, and as I was more than 
anxious to add another species of hawk to my 
“ personal collection” column, I sought at once in 
a systematic manner, their abode. A search of 
two hours revealed many nests, near the tree tops, 
any of which from a ground view might have 
been easily mistaken for the one I sought. After 
climbing several trees and peeping into as many 
Crow’s nests, I was well nigh discouraged and 
fatigued; but when on the top of one of the tallest 
oaks in the wood I was in, I saw what I felt in- 
stinctively was the nest of the birds, who mean- 
while remained perfectly passive spectators of my 
scansorial exercise. As the tree was a giant, and 
as night was coming on, and I was a long distance 
from home, I left the wood with the determina- 
tion of returning on the morrow. By the aid of 
a man and a coil of heaving line, I was safely 
landed on the lowest limb of this oak on the af- 
ternoon of May 4th. It proved all that I had an- 
ticipated, and I looked for the first time into the 
"ffst of this stout little, ample-winged Buteo. At 
|is date it was evidently just finished, and con- 
tained no eggs. It was exactly eighty-seven feet 
from the ground, in the forks of the oak, near its 
top, and was a well made and compact structure ; 
first a foundation of fagots, twigs and leaves, 
Collactioa of Saptore3 Eggs. J.P.N* 
Broad- winged Hawk, 10-2, 7-3, 1-4, 13 45 
O.&O. XV. Apr. 1890. p. 56 
7 ^ LccicC -t~j, HumAm *- 
The Broad-winged Hawk, ( Buteo y ennsyl- 
vanicus). usually lays three or four, sometimes only 
two, but their number-ls given as high as five by 
some writers. : 
)W<t. //-/2. 
Nesting of the Broad-winged Hawk 
in Chester County, Penn. 
BY FRANK L. BURNS, BERWYN, PENN. 
Although much has been written in regard 
to the nesting of the Broad-winged Hawk ( Buteo 
pennsylvanicus) there seems to be a general 
demand for more information on the subject. 
As has already been remarked by a writer to 
the O. & O. “ the habits of a bird vary greatly 
in different localities.” This Hawk is a rare 
summer resident, rarely found breeding in this 
County. Mr. T. H. Jackson noted three well 
authenticated sets taken there during the past 
i thirteen years, of one, two and three eggs (Vol. 
XII, No. 7, O. & O.) I would add a set of four 
taken by Mr. Wayne Baugh, of Tredyffrin 
Township, in 1884. This is probably the finest 
clutch of this species ever taken in the county. 
On the 4th of May of the present year while 
walking along an old cartroad, which ran 
through a belt of chestnut timber, a Hawk flew 
from an old Crow’s nest about twenty yards 
I ahead, and perched on a tree at no great dis- 
tance. Not having my climbers along I re- 
turned in the evening. Now I felt dubious about 
this nest; I remembered climbing to it one hot 
day two years ago, and on reaching it (accom- 
panied by a small army of mosquitoes) I was 
disgusted to find it empty, and at the touch, 
clouds of dust filled my eyes and settled on my 
perspiring face and neck. However I climbed 
once more, and was pleased to find one richly 
marked egg. It would be well to remark here, 
that when about half way up I heard a mourn- 
: ful half whistle, half whine, which was repeated 
' at regular intervals until I decended. At first 
I I thought it must be a Swallow, but as it was 
repeated, and remembering certain notes on the 
Broad-winged Hawk in Vol. NIH, No. 2, 
O. & O., I concluded I had found the nest of 
’ that species. 
On the 7th the nest contained two eggs, the 
female flushed at my approach. On the 11th 
the female was shot as she left the nest, and 
the three eggs secured. At this the final climb, 
J the male betrayed his presence in a near-by tree 
j (for the first time) by the snapping of his beak 
i (which sounded similar to the drumming of a 
) Downy Woodpecker) but kept well hidden. 
The nesting place was surrounded from South 
; to Northeast by at least a quarter of a mile of 
ChestDut growth, of from twenty to seventy 
feet in height; while the nearest opening and 
pasture field on the east, was only sixty yards 
away. The nest was in a crotch, exactly 
thirty-eight feet from the ground. The eggs 
measure 1.94x1.62,1.88 x 1.62, and 1.89x1.63 
inches; and in markings, Mr. Jaokson's des- 
cription of the set of three taken by himself in 
1887 might almost describe this set also, egg for 
egg. The female bird measures thirty-five 
in° heS 
tjae KaptoreB.., 
Buteo pennsylvanicus. Broad-winged Ila’ 
One set of four, six sets of three, ten sets 
two. Total; seventeen sets, forty- two eggs. 
*7 
O.&O. XIV. Mar. 1889 p.46 
