Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-17


These comprised the long-winged
hawks, which take their quarry while
1t lis in motion, never approaching 1t
stealthily, but always making their
presence known by flying aloft, while
watching for chance to sweep down.
ward upon the prey.
To the naturalist there are few sights
of more absorbing interest than to
watch one of these noble falcons while
pursuing a chosen victim. Yet it is
anything but an easy task to keep an
eye upon it, in case it extends it's search
for meal over large extent Of coun-
try. If, however, the falcon is hunting
through an open valley the naturalist,
mounted on tall tree or building, has
favorable opportunity to watch it,
especially if aided by powerful field
glass. Every motion of the bird may
thus be seen to advantage, except per-
haps its sudden downward dash when
its quarry is discovered.
The smallest of our winged fauna, the
tiny "dicky BIRDS" as our English
friends call them, the sparrows, wrens
and tiny fly catchers, dread the hand
some and active sparrow hawk as their
most inveterate foe. Almost thrush
like in size color and easy flight
when not in hurry-this smallest of
the noble falcons is not easily detected
until seen at close quarters, but he is
almost as sure Of his victim as are
his larger relatives.
: The pigeon hawk, a size larger than
the sparrow hawk, is equally swift,
ferocious and death dealing. Still more
dreaded perhaps by the smaller birds
is the sharp Skinned hawk. Its larger
cousin, the cOopers hawk, is an active
hunter of more sizable prey, such as
the wild and tame pigeons, half grown
barnyard fowls, doves, qnails and
grouse
There is really little chance to escape
from the onset of these two formidable
hunters. Like swift winged fate, they
seldom come but to kill, and the anx-
ious mother bird knows not which of
her flock will be taken. These hawks,
when not posing aloft, fly silently
through the woods or low over the omen
fields and thickets and their presence
is seldom suspected until they are right
upon their prey. Then comes a swift
stroke, clutch of the long, keen fal-
ons and the kill is as instantaneous
as that of rifle bullet.
AS the undisputed leader of the noble
falcons, the very prince of these robber
barons of the air. we may name the
peregrine falcon, better known in our
country as the duck hawk This dread
ed hunter sights a flock, or a single
bird, flying so high as to preclude its
possible return to the ground before
he can reach it. He then actually flies
downward, adding the tremendous i'm
petus of his wings to the force of gray
ity, and thus attaining a speed that the
eye can barely follow.
AS he nears the earth he sets his
wing and, without. checking his speed,
alters by shortS curve the direction
of his flight from the vertical to the
horizontal. Thus sweeping along paral-
lei to the earth, with speed that the
observer compares with that of a can
non ball. he overtakes the i'll fated duck
itself one of the sWiftest of fliers-
and, with one stroke of its terrible
ltalons, deals the paralyzing blow.
VI fa1l , In, h.
hawk unless unusually hungry, seldom
cares to regain it, If on land, he de-
saends to the repast, feeding only on
certain choice morsels and leaving the
rest to a less fastidious appetite. In
deed, most of the falcons eat only GER
tain portions of their prey, and, as n
rule, these are by no means such as
human epicures regard as the choicest
tidbiis.
In regard to the food OF the noble
falcons, the department of agriculture
at Washington, through the labors of
observers attached to the division of
ornithology and mammalogy, has made
some interesting reports.
Among the contents of falcons stom
achs have been found the remains of
quails, snipes, woodcock, grouse, ducks,
various finches and eyen-though in
rare NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and swifts.
with now and then king birds and
purple martins.
That these two last mentioned
known as exceptionally swift flyers and
inveterate hawk fighters, should fall
the victims of hawks may be accounted
for only in one Of two ways-they were
either surprised while at rest by the
sudden dash of the falcon or they were
taken when young, before they had
full power of flight. No hawk
or eagle, however swift of wing, could
overtake in full flight such darters as
the swallow, the chimney swift or the
king bird.
The hawks proper, forming a differ
emit group from the falcons, are for the |
most part shorter winged, and therefore
slower and more clumsy. These in i
clude the red tail, the broad-winged,
the red-shoudered Swainsons hawk
and Others. They are seldom quick