and white.
Young birds resemble the young of Cooper's Hawk,
but are much larger. L., male, 22; female, 24.
_Range._ North America, nests chiefly north of the
United States and winters southward, usually
rarely, as far as Virginia.
Washington, casual in winter. Ossining, rare W.V.,
Oct. 10-Jan. 14. Cambridge, irregular and uncommon
W.V. SE. Minn., W.R., Nov. 5-Apl. 4.
Like its smaller relatives the Sharp-shin and Cooper's Hawks, this
powerful raptor is a relentless hunter of birds. It is particularly
destructive to Ruffed Grouse. Fortunately it does not often visit us in
numbers. It nests in trees, laying 2-5 white eggs, rarely marked with
brownish, in April.
RED-TAILED HAWK
_Buteo borealis borealis. Case 1, Figs. 5, 6; Case 3, Fig. 13._
This, the largest of our common Hawks, is a
heavy-bodied bird with wings which when closed,
reach nearly to the end of the tail. The adult has
the tail bright reddish brown with a narrow black
band near the tip. The immature bird has the tail
rather inconspicuously barred with blackish, and a
broken band of blackish spots across the
underparts. L. male, 20; female, 23.
_Range._ Eastern North America, migrating only at
the northern limit of its range. There are several
races, Krider's Red-tail, a paler form inhabiting
the great Plains, and Harlan's Hawk, a darker form
with a mottled tail, the lower Mississippi Valley.
Washington, common W.V., rare S.R. Ossining,
common P.R., less common in winter. Cambridge,
rare T.V., locally W.V., Oct. 10-Apl. 20. N. Ohio,
common P.R. Glen Ellyn, P.R., not common, chiefly
T.V. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 2.
The Red-tail resembles the Red-shoulder in general habits, but it is
more a bird of the fields, where it may be seen perched on the limb of a
dead tree or similar exposed situation. Its note, a long-drawn,
squealing whistle, is quite unlike that of the Red-shoulder. The
Red-tail feeds chiefly on mice and other small mammals. With the
Red-shoulder it is often called 'Chicken Hawk,' but does not deserve the
name. It nests in trees 30-70 feet up and in April lays 2-4 eggs, dull
white sparingly marked with brown.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
_Buteo lineatus lineatus. Case 1,
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