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Range (Breeds from Florida to Hudson)

Breeds from Florida to Hudson Bay, and winters from New Jersey southward. Washington, common W. V., rare S. R. Sing Sing, rather rare P. R. Cambridge, rather common S. R., Feb. to Nov.

Nest, in a hole in a tree, frequently in a Woodpecker's deserted nest. Eggs, three to seven, varying from creamy white to rufous, generally finely and evenly marked with shades of the ground color, 1.40 × 1.12. An old stub or branchless trunk of a dead tree standing well out in a field is the kind of perch the Sparrow Hawk most frequently chooses. From this lookout, like a Loggerhead Shrike, he awaits the appearance of game below. Generally it is a grasshopper which falls his victim. When he detects one, he flies directly over it and poises on hovering wings until the right opportunity offers, when he drops lightly downward, clutches his prey in his talons, and then returns to his perch to devour it at leisure.

The Sparrow Hawk's call is a rather high, quickly repeated killykilly-killy-killy, which in some sections gives it the name of "Killy Hawk." "Of 320 stomachs examined, 1 contained a game bird; 53, other birds; 89, mice: 12, other mammals; 12, reptiles or batrachians; 215, insects; 29, spiders; and 29 were empty" (Fisher).

The CUBAN SPARROW HAWK (361. Falco sparverioides) is of accidental occurrence in the Florida Keys. It has two color phases; in one, the under parts, including the under wing-coverts, are white; in the other, these parts are rufous. 362. Polyborus cheriway (Jacq.). AUDUBON'S CARACARA. Ad.- Face bare; crown, lower back, wings, and belly black; throat buffy; nape, interscapulars, and breast barred with black and buffy; tail white, barred FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. and tipped with black. Im.-Similar, but browner, and with few or no bars on the interscapulars and breast. L., 22.00; W., 16.00; B. from N., 1.25.