The Bird Book Part 43

346. MEXICAN GOSHAWK. _Asturina plagiata._

Range.--Mexico, north to the border of the United States.

A beautiful, medium sized Hawk (17 inches long), slaty gray above, white below, numerously barred with grayish; tail black, crossed by several white bars. These are graceful and active birds, feeding largely upon small rodents, and occasionally small birds. They nest in the top of tall trees, laying two or three greenish white, unmarked eggs; size 1.95 x 1.60. Data.--Santa Cruz River, Arizona, June 3, 1902. Nest in the fork of a mesquite tree about forty feet from the ground; made of large sticks, lined with smaller ones and leaves. Three eggs. Collector, O. W.

Howard.

347a. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. _Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis._

Range.--Northern North America, breeding chiefly north of our borders and wintering south to the middle portions of the United States.

The Rough-legs are large, heavily built birds of prey, specially characterized by the completely feathered legs. The present species is 22 inches long, and in the normal plumage has a whitish head, neck, breast and tail, the former being streaked and the latter barred with blackish; the remainder of the upper and underparts are blackish brown.

Their nests are usually placed in trees, and less often on the ground than those of the next species. These Rough-legs are very irregularly distributed, and are nowhere as common as the next. While the greater number nest north of the United States, it is very probable that a great many nest on the higher ranges within our borders. The species is often taken in summer, even in Ma.s.sachusetts. They lay three eggs of a bluish white color, boldly splashed with dark brown; size 2.25 x 1.75.

[Ill.u.s.tration 216: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Rough-legged Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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348. FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. _Archibuteo ferrugineus._

Range.--North America, west of the Mississippi, breeding from the lat.i.tude of Colorado north to the Saskatchewan region.

This species nests very abundantly along our northern states, particularly in Dakota. It is a larger bird than the preceding and can easily be told by its reddish coloration, particularly on the shoulders and tibia. While in some localities they nest only in trees, the greater number appear to build their nests on the ground or rocky ledges, making a large heap of sticks, weeds and gra.s.s. Their three or four eggs are white, beautifully spotted and blotched, in endless variety, with various shades of brown. Size 2.60 x 2.00. Data.--Stark Co., N. D., April 29, 1900. Nest built of coa.r.s.e sticks on a clay b.u.t.te.

349. GOLDEN EAGLE. _Aquila chrysaetos._

Range.--North America, west of the Mississippi; most abundant in the Rockies and along the Pacific coast ranges.

This magnificent bird, which is even more powerful than the Bald Eagle, measures about 34 inches long, and spreads about 7 feet. Its plumage is a rich brownish black, very old birds being golden brown on the nape.

They can be distinguished in all plumages from the Bald Eagle by the completely feathered tarsus. They build their nests in the tops of the tallest trees in the wild, mountainous country of the west, and more rarely upon ledges of the cliffs. The nests are made of large sticks, lined with smaller ones and leaves and weeds. Their eggs are the most handsome of the Raptores, being white in color, and blotched, splashed, spotted and specked with light brown and clouded with gray or lilac, of course varying endlessly in pattern and intensity. Size 2.90 x 2.50.

Data.--Monterey Co., Cal., May 3, 1888. Three eggs. Nest of sticks, lined with pine needles, in a pine tree, 50 feet up.

[Ill.u.s.tration 217: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Rough-legged Hawk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Golden Eagle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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[Ill.u.s.tration 218: BALD EAGLE.]

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351. GRAY SEA EAGLE. _Haliaeetus albicilla._

A common species on the sea coasts of Europe; straggling to southern Greenland, where it nests upon the rocky cliffs.

352. BALD EAGLE. _Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus._

Range.--Whole of North America; most abundant on the Atlantic coast; breeds throughout its range. This large white-headed and white-tailed species is abundant in sufficiently wild localities along the Atlantic coast. It only attains the white head and tail when three years old, the first two years, being blackish. It is about 34 inches in length and expands about seven feet, never over eight feet, and only birds of the second year (when they are larger than the adults) ever approach this expanse. Their food consists of fish (which they sometimes capture themselves, but more often take from the Osprey), carrion, and Ducks, which they catch in flight. Their nests are ma.s.sive structures of sticks, in the tops of tall trees. They very rarely lay more than two eggs, which are white. Size 2.75 x 2.10. Data.--Mt. Pleasant, S. C., nest in top of a pine, 105 feet from the ground; made of large sticks and lined with Spanish moss.

352a. NORTHERN BALD EAGLE.--_Haliaeetus leucocephalus alasca.n.u.s._

Range.--Alaska. This sub-species averages slightly larger than the Bald Eagle, but never exceeds the largest dimensions of that species. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same, except that it more often builds its nests on rocky cliffs than does the Bald Eagle. The eggs are laid in February and March.

[Ill.u.s.tration 219: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bald Eagle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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FALCONS AND CARACARAS

Family FALCONDIDAE

353. WHITE GYRFALCON. _Falco islandus._

Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter casually to northern United States, chiefly on the coast.

Gyrfalcons are large, strong, active and fearless birds, about 23 inches in length. Their food consists chiefly of hares, Ducks and Waders which abound in the far north. The present species is snowy white, more or less barred with blackish brown on the back and wings and with a few marks on the breast. They nest upon the ledges of high cliffs, laying three or four eggs of a buffy color, blotched and finely specked with reddish brown, this color often concealing the ground color. Size of eggs, 2.30 1.80. In America, they nest in Greenland and the Arctic regions.

354. GRAY GYRFALCON. _Falco rusticolus rusticolus._

Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to northern United States.

This species is of the size of the last but the plumage is largely gray, barred with dusky. They nest more abundantly in southern Greenland than do the preceding species. The nesting habits and eggs do not differ.

354a. Gyrfalcon. _Falco rusticolus gyrfalco._

Range.--Arctic regions; south casually to Long Island.

This sub-species is hardly to be distinguished from the preceding; its nesting habits and eggs are identical, the nests being of sticks, lined with weeds and feathers and placed upon the most inaccessible ledges of cliffs.

[Ill.u.s.tration 220: Gray Gyrfalcon. White Gyrfalcon.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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