A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. John James Audubon
elliptical. Feet of moderate length; tarsi moderate or slender, feathered at least one-third of their length, broadly scutellate before and behind; first and second toes strongest and equal, third much longer, and connected at the base by a web with the third, which is shortest; claws long, well curved, acuminate. Wings very broad, of moderate length, much rounded, fourth and fifth quills longest, first much shorter, outer four abruptly cut out on the inner web. Tail long, much exceeding the wings, rounded.
Those of more slender form, with proportionally longer tails and tarsi, are separated by many authors to form a group, to which the name of Accipiter and Nisus are given.
23. 1. Astur palumbarius, Linn. Gos Hawk.
Plate CXLI. Fig. 1. Adult Male. Fig. 2. Young.
Adult male dark bluish-grey above, the tail with four broad bands of blackish-brown, the upper part of the head greyish-black; a white band, with black lines, over the eyes; lower parts white, narrowly barred with grey, and longitudinally streaked with dark brown. Young brown above, the feathers edged with reddish-white, the head and hind neck pale red, streaked with blackish-brown, the lower parts yellowish-white, with oblong longitudinal dark brown spots.
Male, 24, 47.
From Maryland, northward. From Kentucky, northward. Migratory.
Ash-coloured or Black-capped Hawk, Falco atricapillus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. v. vi. p. 80.
Falco palumbarius, Bonap. Syn. p. 28.
American Goshawk, Falco atricapillus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 85.
Accipiter (Astur) Palumbarius, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 39.
Goshawk, Falco palumbarius, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 241.
24. 2. Astur Cooperi, Bonap. Cooper's Hawk.
Plate CXLI. Fig. 3. Adult Male. Plate XXXVI. Young Male and Female.
Tail rounded, tarsi moderately stout. Adult male dull bluish-grey above; the tail with four broad bands of blackish-brown, and tipped with white; the upper part of the head greyish-black; lower parts transversely barred with light red and white, the throat white, longitudinally streaked. Female similar, with the bands on the breast broader. Young umber-brown above, more or less spotted with white, the tail with four blackish-brown bars; lower parts white, each feather with a longitudinal narrow, oblong, brown spot.
Male, 20, 36. Female, 22, 38.
From Louisiana northward, and all over the interior, in winter. Some breed in the United States. Columbia River.
Cooper's Hawk, Falco Cooperii. Bonap. Amer. Orn. Young.
Falco Cooperii, Bon. Syn. App. p. 433. Young.
Stanley Hawk, Falco Stanleii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 245. Adult Male.
Stanley Hawk, Falco Stanleii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 186. Young.
25. 3. Astur fuscus, Gmel. Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Plate CCCLXXIV. Adult Male and Female.
Tail even, tarsi extremely slender. Adult male bluish-grey above; the tail with four broad bands of blackish-brown, and tipped with white; upper part of head darker; lower parts transversely barred with light red and white, the throat white, longitudinally streaked. Female similar, more tinged with yellow beneath, and with the bands on the breast broader. Young umber-brown above, more or less spotted with white, the tail with four dark brown bars; lower parts white, each feather with a longitudinal narrow, oblong, brown spot. Miniature of Falco Cooperii, and intimately allied to Astur Nisus.
Male, 111/4, 201/2. Female, 14, 26.
Generally distributed. Not very abundant. Migratory.
Slate-coloured Hawk, Falco Pennsylvanicus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. v. vi. p. 13. Adult Male.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Falco velox, Wils. Amer. Ornith. v. vi. p. 116. Young Female.
Falco velox, Bonap. Syn. p. 29.
Falco fuscus, Bonap. Syn. Append. p. 433.
Accipiter Pennsylvanicus, Slate-coloured Hawk, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 44.
American Brown or Slate-coloured Hawk, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 87.
Sharp-shinned or Slate-coloured Hawk, Falco fuscus, Aud. Amer. Orn. v. iv. p. 522. Adult.
GENUS XI. CIRCUS, Bechst. HARRIER.
Bill short, compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping to beyond the cere, then decurved, the sides sloping, the edge with a festoon a little anterior to the nostril, the tip acute; lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending and convex, the tip rounded. Nostrils large, ovato-oblong, with an oblique ridge from their upper edge. Head of moderate size, oblong, neck rather short; body slender. Legs long and slender; tarsi long, compressed, anteriorly and posteriorly scutellate; toes slender, scutellate unless at the base; claws long, compressed, moderately curved, flat beneath, acuminate. Plumage very soft; a distinct ruff of narrow feathers from behind the eye on each side to the chin, the aperture of the ear being very large. Wings long, much rounded, the fourth quill longest; outer four quills with their inner webs sinuate. Tail straight, long, slightly rounded. Quills and tail-feathers covered with velvety down.
26. 1. Circus cyaneus, Linn. Common Harrier.
Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female. Fig. 3. Young.
Adult male light ash-grey; abdomen, tail-coverts, lower wing-coverts, inner webs of secondary quills and tail-feathers, white, primaries black toward the end. Female umber-brown above, head, hind neck and scapulars, streaked with light red; tail-coverts white; tail banded with light red; lower parts light yellowish-red, the neck streaked with brown. Young like the female, but lighter.
Male, 193/4, 44. Female, 201/2, 463/4.
Breeds from Texas northward. Columbia River.
Marsh Hawk, Falco uliginosus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 67. Young Female.
Falco cyaneus, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p. 30.
Hen-Harrier or Marsh Hawk, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 109.
Marsh Hawk, Falco cyaneus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 396.
Buteo (Circus) cyaneus? var? Americanus, American Hen-Harrier, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 55.
FAMILY III. STRIGINÆ. OWLS.
Bill very short, strong, cerate; upper mandible with the tip elongated and decurved; lower mandible with the end rounded and thin-edged. Head extremely large, owing to the wide separation of the tables of the cranium, roundish, more or less vertically flattened behind, feathered. Eyes excessively large, with prominent superciliary ridges, and encircled by series of decomposed feathers. External aperture of ear always very large, frequently excessive, simple or operculate. Tarsus short, very short, or of moderate length, always feathered, as are the toes, of which the outer is versatile, the first shorter than the second, the anterior free; claws very long, slender, curved, extremely acute. Plumage very full and soft. Wings long, broad, rounded, the second, third, and fourth quills longest, the filaments of the outer more or less enlarged and recurved at the end. Tail broad, rather short or of moderate length, of twelve feathers. Œsophagus very wide, without crop or dilatation; stomach very large, round, somewhat membranous, its muscular fasciculi being placed in a single series; intestine short and wide; cœca large, oblong, obtuse, narrowed at the base. Young at first covered with light-coloured down, when fledged, with the face darker than that of adults. Eggs white, somewhat globular or broadly ovate, from four to six. Nests rudely constructed, in hollow trees, on branches, in buildings, or on the ground.
GENUS I. SURNIA, Dumeril. DAY-OWL.
Bill very short, strong, its upper outline decurved from the base; lower mandible abruptly rounded, with a sinus on each side. Nostrils elliptical, rather large. Aperture of ear elliptical, simple, not more