190 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
near Fort Stanton. One was seen at Beaver Lake, August 27, 1908 (Birdseye). 
[On the Rio Grande Bird Reserve one was seen December 4, 1916 (Willett); between 
Silver City and Doming, one was seen August 26, 1917 (Ligon); at Lake Burford a 
family of young left the nest about June 10, 1918 (Wetmore); about 30 miles east 
of Carlsbad one was noted, January 9, 1919 (Ligon); and during May, 1921, a male 
was seen several times about a mile west of Santa Fe (Jensen).]—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. Usually overlooking water, on cliffs, in niches of cut banks, or in hollows 
in high trees. Eggs: Deposited on bare ledge or ground, generally 3 or 4, creamy 
ground color often obscured by confluent markings of chocolate brown; others 
variegated or almost wholly reddish brown. 
Food. —Mainly birds, and principally waterfowl and shorebirds; also poultry. 
‘ 'Feeds to some extent on insects and mice, but on the whole is more harmful than 
useful” (Fisher). 
General Habits. —At Lake Burford Doctor Wetmore found that 
“a pair of these swift-flying falcons had a nest in the canyon south 
of the lake, and the adults were observed hunting at the lake and in the 
open country around it. The young left the nest about June 10, and 
were heard calling from rocky points nearby for a day or two afterward” 
(1920a, p. 398). 
The flight of the Duck Hawk is so rapid that, as Doctor Fisher says, 
it is able to overtake the swift-winged ducks with comparative ease, and 
it is so bold and audacious that it will attack and kill prey twice its 
weight (1893, p. 108). A pair were found by Colonel Roosevelt at Oyster 
Bay, working ruthless havoc among a colony of Black-crowned Night 
Herons. Another pair were seen by Mr. Huey in Lower California “ har¬ 
assing a bunch of Snow Geese high overhead” (1927, p. 26). They do 
not disdain smaller prey, however. One seen by Doctor Cooper was 
pursuing a swallow, and as if the size of his quarry permitted him to 
indulge in aeronautic stunts, he turned on his back and seized the 
swift-flying swallow as it passed. 
Pigeons are among the Duck Hawk's favorite articles of diet, 
sometimes attracting them into cities. One and sometimes two of the 
Hawks have spent a term of winters in Washington, D. C., making their 
headquarters in the tower of the post office department, where the un¬ 
suspecting pigeons came to roost; also frequenting the neighborhood of 
Center Market, and altogether catching so many pigeons that one of the 
marauders was finally shot. When the pigeons became so numerous that 
there was need of some natural check, it was too late. In the winter of 
1925, however, one Duck Hawk was seen near the post office tower 
catching Starlings that were going to roost in the city streets. Two of 
the Hawks also spent some weeks of the winter of 1918, Mr. D. E. Culver 
states, in the heart of Philadelphia (1919, pp. 108-109). In cities where 
they can do little harm, these spirited hawks bring a touch of wild life 
pleasurable, indeed, to nature lovers. 
