e
United States; very abundant in southern Texas.

This is a peculiar blackish species, with white rump, and chestnut
shoulders and thighs. It is commonly met with in company with Caracaras,
Turkey Buzzards and Black Vultures, feeding upon carrion. They also feed
to an extent on small mammals and birds. Their nests are made of sticks,
twigs and weeds, and placed in bushes or low trees. The three or four
eggs are laid in April or May. They are dull white in color and
generally unmarked, although often showing traces of pale brown spots.
They are quite variable in size, averaging 2.10 x 1.65.

[Illustration 209: Bluish white.]
[Illustration: Harris's Hawk.]
[Illustration: White.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

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337. RED-TAILED HAWK. _Buteo borealis borealis_.

This is one of the handsomest of the larger hawks, and is the best known
in the east, where it is commonly, but wrongly, designated as "hen
hawk", a name, however, which is indiscriminately applied to any bird
that has talons and a hooked beak. The adult of this species is
unmistakable because of its reddish brown tail; young birds are very
frequently confounded with other species. Their food consists chiefly of
small rodents, snakes and lizards, and only occasionally are poultry or
birds taken. They nest in the tallest trees in large patches of woods,
the nests being made of sticks, weeds, leaves and trash. The eggs number
from two to four, and are white, sometimes heavily, and sometimes
sparingly, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown. Size 2.35
x 1.80.

337a. KRIDER'S HAWK. _Buteo borealis krideri_.

Range.--Plains of the United States, north to Manitoba.

This sub-species is described as lighter on the underparts, which are
almost immaculate. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of
the preceding.

337b. WESTERN RED-TAIL. _Buteo borealis calurus_.

Range.--Western North America, chiefly west of the Rocky Mountains.

This sub-species varies from the plumage of the eastern Red-tail, to a
nearly uniform sooty above and below, with the dark red tail crossed by
several bands; it is a generally darker variety than the Red-tail. Its
nesting habits are the same and the eggs show the great variations in
markings that are common to the eastern bird.

[Illustration 210: Red-tailed Hawk.]
[Illustration: Pale bluish white.]
[Illustration: White.]
[Illustration: left hand margin.]

Page 209

337d. HARLAN'S HAWK.