A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 3 of 3Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Science
A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 3 of 3
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Birds -- North America
Richardson speaks of the Gerfalcon as a constant resident in the Hudson
Bay territory, where it is known as the Speckled Partridge-Hawk, and
also as the Winterer. Its southern limit he could not give, but he
never met with it south of 52°. He traced it northward to the coast of
the Arctic Sea, and probably to the most northern Georgian islands.
He cites Captain Sabine as authority for its occurring as far north
as latitude 74° on the west coast of Greenland. Richardson often met
with it during his journeys over the Barren Grounds, where its habitual
prey was the Ptarmigan, and where it also destroyed Plover, Ducks, and
Geese. He relates that in the middle of June, 1821, a pair of these
birds attacked him as he was climbing to the vicinity of their nest,
which was built on a lofty precipice on the borders of Point Lake, in
latitude 65° 30′. The bird flew in circles, uttering loud and harsh
screams, stooping alternately with such velocity that their motions
through the air produced a loud rushing noise. They struck their claws
within an inch or two of his head. Keeping the barrel of his gun close
to his cheek, and suddenly elevating its muzzle when they were in the
act of striking, he found that they invariably rose above the obstacle
with the rapidity of thought, showing equal power of motion. They bore
considerable resemblance to the Snowy Owl, but their flight was much
more rapid.
Mr. MacFarlane, in the memoranda of his collections in the neighborhood
of Anderson River and Fort Anderson, furnishes notes of eighteen
nests of the Gerfalcon obtained by him in that region. With only two
exceptions, these were placed near the tops of pines, or other trees, at
distances from the ground varying from ten to twenty-five feet. In some
instances the nest was placed on the very top of the tree, in others on
a lower limb against the trunk. They were composed of twigs and small
branches, and lined with mosses, hay, deer’s hair, feathers, and other
substances. The parents were always very much excited whenever their
nests were approached, making a great noise, and not unfrequently their
loud screams drew attention to nests that would otherwise have escaped
notice. In one instance a nest had been built on a ledge of rocks thirty
miles northwest of Fort Anderson. It was composed of a few withered
twigs, and lined with mosses and hay. It was found on the 27th of May,
and contained two eggs nearly fresh, and two in a state of greater
development. One nest, placed on a broad branch of a tree, near the
trunk, was of considerable size. Another nest was on the ground, on the
side of a steep and high hill. The earliest date of finding these nests
is given as the 10th of May. The eggs then found were fresh. The ground
at that time was still thickly covered with snow, and the weather was
very cold. In a nest found five days later the eggs contained partially
developed embryos. In nearly every instance the eggs seem to have been
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