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
Specimens from different regions vary but little in size. The largest
are 4,198, ♀, San Francisco, Cal., winter, 16,957, ♀, Hudson’s Bay
Territory, and 55,016, ♀, Mazatlan, Mexico, in which the wing ranges
from 8.40 to 8.50, the tail 7.00. The smallest females are 45,826,
Sitka, Alaska, and 11,791, Simiahmoo, W. T., in which the wing measures
about 7.80. A female (32,499) from Orizaba, Mexico, one (8,513) from
Fort Yuma, Cal., and one (17,210) from San Nicholas, Lower California,
have the wing 8.00, which is about the average. The largest males are
54,336, Nulato, Alaska, 58,137, Kodiak, Alaska, 27,067, Yukon, mouth
of Porcupine, and 55,017, Mazatlan, Mexico, in which the wing measures
7.00, the tail 5.60. The smallest males are 5,990, Orange, N. J.,
8,514, Shoalwater Bay, W. T., 21,338, Siskiyou Co., Cal., 37,428,
Orizaba, Mexico, and 5,584, Bridger’s Pass, Utah; in this series the
wing measures 6.50–6.70, the tail 5.40–5.60. A specimen from Costa
Rica measures: wing 6.70, tail 5.35. Thus the variation in size will
be seen to be an individual difference, rather than characteristic of
any region. Some immature specimens from the northwest coast of North
America (as 45,828, ♂, Sitka, Rus. Am., 5,845, ♂, Fort Steilacoom,
W. T., 11,791, Simiahmoo, Puget Sound, and 8,514, Shoalwater Bay,
W. T.) are much darker than others, the brown above inclining to
blackish-sepia; no other differences, however, are observable. An adult
from the Yukon (54,337, ♀) has the rufous bars beneath remarkably faint,
although well defined; another (19,384, ♀, Fort Resolution), in immature
plumage, has the longitudinal markings beneath so faint that they are
scarcely discernible, and the plumage generally has a very worn and
faded appearance. A male in fine plumage (10,759, Fort Bridger, Utah)
has the delicate reddish-rufous beneath so extended as to prevail, and
with scarcely any variegation on the sides and tibiæ; the bars on the
tail, also, are quite obsolete.
HABITS. This species is one of the most common Hawks of North America,
and its geographical range covers the entire continent, from Hudson’s
Bay to Mexico. Sir John Richardson mentions its having been met with
as far to the north as latitude 51°. Drs. Gambel and Heermann, and
others, speak of it as abundant throughout California. Audubon found it
very plentiful as far north as the southern shore of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. It has been obtained in New Mexico by Mr. McCall, in Mexico
by Mr. Pease, in Washington Territory by Dr. Cooper and Dr. Suckley,
in Alaska by Mr. Dall, at Fort Resolution by Mr. Kennicott, at Fort
Simpson by Mr. B. R. Ross, etc. Messrs. Sclater and Salvin give it
as a rare visitant of Guatemala. It has been ascertained to breed in
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, California, and Pennsylvania, and
it probably does so not only in the intervening States and Territories,
but also in all, not excepting the most southern, Florida, where its
nest was found by Mr. Wurdemann.
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