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Range (Breeds throughout eastern)
Breeds throughout eastern North America, from New Brunswick southward.
Washington, not common W. V., rare S. R. Sing Sing, tolerably common S. R., Mch. 15 to Oct. 23. Cambridge, T. V., sometimes common in Sept.; rare in spring.
Nest, in trees, twenty-five to fifty feet from the ground. Eggs, two to four, dull white or buffy white spotted, blotched, or washed with ochraceous-buff or cinnamon-brown, 210 x 1.60. "Of all our Hawks, this species seems to be the most unsuspicious, often allowing a person to approach within a few yards of it, and when startled flies but a short distance before it alights again. During the early summer the Broad-winged Hawk often may be seen sitting for hours on the dead top of some high tree. At other times it is found on the smaller trees in the deep woods, along streams, or on the ground, where its food is more often procured. Although sluggish and unusually heavy in its flight, it is capable of rapid motion, and sometimes soars high in the air. One of its notes resembles quite closely that of the Wood Pewee. ... "Of 65 stomachs examined, 2 contained small birds; 15, mice; 13, other mammals; 11, reptiles; 13, batrachians; 30, insects; 2, earthworms; 4, crawfish; and 7 were empty" (Fisher). 344. Buteo brachyurus Vieill. SHORT-TAILED HAWK. Ad.- Upper parts slaty gray or fuscous grayish brown; forehead whitish; tail barred with black and narrowly tipped with white, its under surface grayish; sides of the breast with some rufous-brown markings; rest of the under parts pure white. Im.-Similar, but upper parts browner and margined with cream-buff; under parts washed with cream-buff; no rufous-brown on the breast. Dark phase. -Fuscous-black, with a slight metallic luster; forehead FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. whitish; tail lighter than back, barred with black, its under surface and the under surface of the primaries grayish. L., 17.00; W., 12.50; T., 7.00; Tar., 2.35; B. from N., 70.
Range.--Florida and Mexico southward through South America. Nest, in trees. Eggs (?), dull white, spotted at the larger end with small spots and blotches of reddish brown over about one fourth the surface, 2-16 x 161 (Pennock).
A rare resident in Florida. According to Mr. C. J. Pennock, who found its nest at St. Marks on April 3, its call somewhat resembles the scream of the Red-shouldered Hawk, but is finer and more prolonged (Auk, vii, 1890, p. 56; see also Scott, ibid., vi, 1889, p. 243). The MEXICAN GOSHAWK (346. Asturina plagiata) is a tropical species which reaches the south western border of the United States. An individual seen by Mr. Robert Ridgway in southern Illinois, August 19, 1871, is the only known instance of its occurrence east of the Mississippi. 347a. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis (Gmel.). AMERI-