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
_Young female_ (Cuba; Dr. Gundlach, Coll. G. N. Lawrence). Prevailing
color above brownish-black, with a glaucous cast on the dorsal region;
tail deep black, with a faint greenish-bronze reflection, with white
and grayish base and tip, as in the adult. Each feather of the upper
parts rather broadly tipped with ochraceous-rufous; crown, occiput, and
auriculars streaked longitudinally with the same. Prevailing color of
the head and lower parts deep ochraceous, on the head forming a broad
superciliary stripe from the forehead back to the occiput; throat and
cheeks streaked longitudinally with dusky; crissum immaculate; other
lower parts, including lining of the wing, thickly covered with large
transverse spots of brownish-black. Upper tail-coverts white, with a
blackish shaft-line; tail with the basal third white anteriorly and
brownish-ashy next the black, and with a terminal band, about 1.00
wide, of brownish-ashy, passing into white at the tip. Under surface of
primaries cream-color anterior to the emargination, towards the ends
grayish, with transverse spots of dusky. Wing-formula, 4, 3=5–2–6–7, 1.
Wing, 13.90; tail, 8.25; tarsus, 1.90; middle toe, 1.55.
An older specimen in young plumage (11,755, Florida) differs as follows:
The colors generally are lighter, the ochraceous being more prevalent
and lighter in tint; the throat is immaculate, and the markings beneath
more longitudinal. The secondaries and primaries are broadly tipped with
ochraceous. Wing, 14.00; tail, 7.20; tarsus, 1.95; middle toe, 1.50.
HAB. West Indies and Southern Florida.
LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED.
National Museum, 3; Coll. C. J. Maynard, 7; Philadelphia Academy, 2;
Museum Comp. Zoöl., 3; Coll. R. Ridgway, 1. Total, 16.
HABITS. The Black Kite is a Central and South American species, well
known in that section, but having no other claim to be regarded as
a bird of North America than its presence in a restricted portion
of Florida, where it is, in the extreme southern section, not very
uncommon, and where it is also known to breed. It was first taken in
that peninsula by Mr. Edward Harris, and subsequently by Dr. Heermann.
It was supposed by Mr. Harris to breed in Florida, from his meeting with
young birds; and this supposition has been confirmed by Mr. Maynard, who
has since found them nesting, and procured their eggs.
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