Page:Field key to the land birds .. (IA fieldkeytolandbi00knob).pdf/40

10 FIELD KEY TO THE LAND BIRDS.

10

species of Accipiter resemble each other closely in color and markings, and are distinguishable only by the difference in their size. They are brown above, with a large round white dot on the feathers of shoulder and back underparts Avhite with brown streaks

(see No. 11a on plate) ; tail black and gray bars, of about even width. The Goshawk is a fine hawk though more lightly built than the Buteos he makes up by his extraordinary boldness for what he lacks in strength. He will sometimes sit on the roof of a hen-house, pick up a hen in the yard, and carry her off. He is somewhat rare here, and comes to us only as a straggler, his real home being to the northward.

COOPER'S HAWK.

11.

— Length,

Accipiter

cooperi.

19 inches. Bluish gray above underparts white, thickly barred with reddish buff'; tail with black and gray bars, and roimded at the end. Males and females are alike, and the young, 11a, are similar to young Goshawks. This is our common Chicken-hawk, and stays with us throughout the year,

though

less

12.



numerous

in winter.

SHARP-SHINNED

— Length,

HAWK.

Accipiter small at the chicklarger

12 inches. Exactly like a Cooper's Hawk, except that the tail is square end. Both these hawks are very destructive to ens and game birds, even more so than the hawks, as they overmatch the strength of the velox.

by

their

13.

own

latter

swiftness and boldness.

DUCK-HAWK. PEREGRINE FALCON.

—

Length, 17 inches. anatmn. underparts light buff and white, streaked, barred, and spotted with black. It has a conspicuous black patch under the eye, and the sharp tooth on the upper bill that is characteristic of all falcons. The young are similar, but blackish brown above. In flight this hawk resembles a pigeon. It Falco perec/rifius Bluish gray above