I have seen this species pounce on soft-shelled tortoises, and amusing
enough it was to see the latter scramble towards the water, enter it, and
save themselves from the claws of the Hawk by immediately diving. I
am not aware that this Hawk is ever successful in these attacks, as I have
not on any occasion found any portion of the skin, head, or feet of tortoises
in the stomachs of the many Hawks of this species which I have
killed and examined. Several times, however, I have found portions of
bull-frogs in their stomach.
All our Falcons are pestered with parasitic flying ticks. Those found
amongst the plumage of the Red-tailed Hawk, like all others, move
swiftly sidewise between the feathers, issue from the skin, and shift from
one portion of the body to another on wing, and do not abandon the bird
for a day or two after the latter is dead. These ticks are large, and of
an auburn colour.
The body of the Red-tailed Hawk is large, compact, and muscular.
These birds protrude their talons beyond their head in seizing their prey,
as well as while fighting in the air, in the manner shown in the Plate. I
have caught several birds of this species by baiting a steel-trap with a live
chicken..
The animal represented as held in one of the feet of the female, is
usually called a rabbit in all parts of the United States, but is evidently
a true hare. It never burrows, but has a form to rest in, and to which
it returns in the manner of the common hare of Europe. I may hereafter
present you, kind reader, with a full account of this American species,
which occurs in great abundance in the United States.
I have only here to add, that amongst the American farmers the common
name of our present bird is the Hen-hawk; while it receives that of
Grand mangeur de poules from the Creoles of Louisiana.
F A L C O B O R E A L I S , Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol- i. p. 2G6.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 2 5 ._
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. p. 32.
A M E R I C A N B U Z Z A R D , Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. SO.
R E D - T A I L E D H A W K , F A L C O B O R E A L I S , Wils. Amer. Ornith, vol. vi. p. 75. PI. 52.
fig. 1. Adult.
A M E R I C A N B U Z Z A R D , OR W H I T E - B R E A S T E D HAWK, F A L C O L E V E R I A N U S , Wils.
Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 78. PI. 51. fig. 3. Young.
Adult Male. Plate LI. Fig. 1.
Bill short, robust, at the base as broad as deep, compressed towards
the end, cerate; upper mandible, with the dorsal outline, convex from the
base, rounded on the sides, the edges with an obtuse lobe, the tip trigonal,
descending obliquely, acute; lower mandible involute at the edges,
truncate at the end, broadly rounded on the back. Nostrils roundish,
nearly dorsal, in the fore part of the cere. Head large, flat above. Neck
shortish, robust. Body bulky. Legs rather long, very robust; tarsi
stout, scutellate before and behind, the sides covered with hexagonal
scales ; toes scutellate above, scaly on the sides, scabrous and tubercular
beneath ; claws roundish, strong, curved, very acute.
Plumage compact and firm ; feathers of the head and neck rather narrow,
of the other parts broad and rounded. Tarsus feathered anteriorly
about one-third down. Wings long, ample, rounded, the fourth quill
longest, the first short. Tail of twelve broad, rounded feathers, even, and
of ordinary length.
Bill light blue, blackish at the tip, greenish-yellow on the margin towards
the base ; cere greenish-yellow. Iris hazel. Tarsi and toes yellow
; claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head light brownishgrey.
Loral space and under eyelid white. A broad band of dark
brown from the angle of the mouth backwards. Neck above and on the
sides reddish-yellow, with large deep brown spots. Back deep brown;
scapulars of the same colour, broadly margined and tipped with brownishwhite.
Lesser wing-coverts chocolate-brown; larger lighter brown, tipped
with white. Primary quills blackish-brown ; secondaries lighter, tipped
with brownish-white ; all barred with blackish. Upper tail-coverts
whitish, barred with brown, and yellowish-red in the middle. Tail bright
yellowish-red, tipped with whitish, and having a narrow bar of black near
the end. Lower parts brownish-white ; the fore part of the breast and
neck light yellowish-red, the former marked with guttiform, somewhat
sagittate brown spots : abdomen and chin white; feathers of the leg and
tarsus pale reddish-yellow, those on the outside indistinctly spotted.
Length 20^ inches, extent of wings 46 ; bill along the back 1£, along
the gap 2 ; tarsus middle toe 2 | . Wings when closed reaching to
within two inches of the tip of the tail.
Adult Female. Plate LI. Fig. 2.
The female, which is considerably larger, agrees with the male in the
general distribution of its colouring. The upper parts are darker, and