A Synopsis of the Birds of North AmericaAudubon, John James
Science
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
Audubon, John James
Birds -- Classification; Birds -- North America
Iceland or Jer Falcon, Falco Islandicus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v.
ii. p. 552. Young Male and Female.
20. 2. Falco peregrinus, Gmel. Peregrine Falcon.--Large-footed Hawk.
Duck Hawk. Wandering Falcon.
Plate XVI. Adult Male and Female.
Wings, when closed, of nearly the same length as the tail. Adult male
with the upper parts greyish-black, excepting the head and hind neck
barred with light greyish-blue, lower parts white, the breast and
sides transversely spotted with black. Female with the upper parts
darker than those of the male, the lower yellowish or reddish-white,
with larger dusky spots on the breast and sides, and oblong streaks on
the neck. Young blackish-brown above, the breast of the male
yellowish-white, of the female pale yellowish-red, with broad
longitudinal dusky streaks. In all stages, a large mystachial patch,
black in adult, brown in young birds.
_Male_, 16-1/2, 30. _Female_, 19-1/2, 36.
Breeds in the northern parts, visiting the southern and western in
winter as far as Texas.
Great-footed Hawk, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 120.
Falco peregrinus, Bonap. Synops. p. 27.
Common or Wandering Falcon, Falco peregrinus, Nuttall, Man. v.
i. p. 53.
Great-footed Hawk, Falco peregrinus, Aud. Amer. Orn. v. i. p.
85; v. v. p. 365.
Falco peregrinus, Peregrine Falcon, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor.
Amer. v. ii. p. 23.
21. 3. Falco columbarius, Linn. Pigeon Falcon.--Pigeon Hawk.
Plate LXXV. Young Male and Female. Plate XCII. Adult Male.
Wings from two to three inches shorter than the tail, on the middle
feathers of which are five, on the lateral six broad whitish bands.
Adult male with the cere greenish-yellow, the feet pale orange, the
upper parts light bluish-grey, each feather with a black central line;
lower parts reddish or yellowish white, the breast and sides with
large oblong brown spots; tibial feathers light red, streaked with
blackish-brown. Female with the cere and legs greenish-yellow, the
upper parts dark greyish-brown, the lower pale red, spotted as in the
male. Young with the head light reddish-brown, streaked with dusky,
the upper parts brownish-grey, the feathers margined and spotted with
pale red, throat white, lower parts pale red, streaked with brown. The
tail-bands vary from pale red to white.
This species is so nearly allied to _Falco Æsalon_, that it is
extremely difficult to distinguish many individuals. The number and
form of the scutella differ; but the most certain distinctive
character is found in the light-coloured bands of the tail, which are
more numerous in the Merlin, there being seven on its middle, and nine
on its lateral tail-feathers.
_Male_, 10-3/4, 27. _Female_, 14, 30.
From Texas northward. Breeds in the Labrador and Arctic regions.
Abundant. Migratory.
Pigeon Hawk, Falco columbarius, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p.
107.
Falco columbarius, Bonap. Syn. p. 38.
Pigeon Hawk, Falco columbarius, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 60.
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