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ANATOMY OF BIRDS |
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Birds and Birding's Guide to:Watching THE FALCON-LIKE BIRDSTHE KITES, BUZZARDS, EAGLES, HAWKS, AND ALLIESRed-shouldered HawkAnother well-known species is the Red-shouldered Hawk (B. lineatus), a slightly smaller bird than the last and with about the same range as the typical form. It is reddish brown above, the center of the feathers being darker than the edge, while the head, neck, and lower parts, but especially the shoulders, are more or less rusty or cinnamon, barred with whitish. The tail is black and crossed by about six white bands. It is a somewhat less shy bird than the Red-tail, and frequents lowlands bordering streams and marshes, or, during the nesting season, upland woods. Although its food is largely the same as that of the Red-tail, it is obliged to share with that species the undeserved reputation of being a poultry yard marauder, yet out of 220 stomachs examined from birds killed at all seasons and in many parts of its range, only 3 contained poultry, and 194 mice and insects, a sufficient proof of its usefulness. The nest is not unlike that made by its relative, being composed of sticks of various sizes, and lined with bark of the grapevine and other fibers, or occasionally with a few green leaves. The eggs are usually three or four in number, but sets of five and even six have been known; they are dull white or bluish white, variously spotted and blotched with different shades of brown. There are two geographical races of this species, a more rufous or rusty-breasted form on the Pacific coast and a smaller race in Florida. previous bird species next bird species
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