Audubon's Birds/BIRDSVER1_3.BIN/dp/0001/00012.txt

Text File | 1992-08-27 | 18KB | 273 lines

$Unique_ID{BRD00012}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{The Red-Tailed Buzzard}
$Subject{Falconinae; Buteo; borealis; jamaicensis; Red-Tailed Buzzard;
Red-tailed Hawk}
$Journal{Birds of America:  Volume I}
$Volume{Vol. 1:32-38}
$Family{Falconinae}
$Genus{Buteo}
$Species{borealis; jamaicensis}
$Common_Name{Red-Tailed Buzzard; Red-tailed Hawk}
$Log{
Plate VII*00012p1.scf,35280026.aud
Bird Call*35280026.aud
Family*00006.txt
Genus*00009.txt}

            (C) (P) Library of Natural Sounds; Cornell Laboratory
       of Ornithology 1990-91, 1992; Ithaca, N.Y., All rights reserved.
       Portions copyright (c) Creative Multimedia Corp., 1990-91, 1992

                       B I R D S   O F   A M E R I C A .

                    By John James Audubon, F. R. SS. L. & E.

                   ------------------------------------------
                                    VOL. I.
                        --------------------------------


                            THE RED-TAILED BUZZARD.
                 [Red-tailed Hawk (see also Harlan's Buzzard).]


                             BUTEO BOREALIS, Gmel.
                              [Buteo jamaicensis.]


                          PLATE VII.--MALE AND FEMALE.


     The Red-tailed Hawk (Buzzard) is a constant resident in the United States,
in every part of which it is found.  It performs partial migrations, during
severe winters, from the Northern Districts towards the Southern.  In the
latter, however, it is at all times more abundant, and I shall endeavour to
present you with a full account of its habits, as observed there.
     Its flight is firm, protracted, and at times performed at a great height.
It sails across the whole of a large plantation, on a level with the tops of the
forest trees which surround it, without a single flap of its wings, and is then
seen moving its head sidewise to inspect the objects below.  This flight is
generally accompanied by a prolonged mournful cry, which may be heard at a
considerable distance, and consists of a single sound resembling the
monosyllable Kae, several times repeated, for three or four minutes, without any
apparent inflection or difference of intensity.  It would seem as if uttered for
the purpose of giving notice to the living objects below that he is passing, and
of thus inducing them to bestir themselves and retreat to a hiding-place, before
they attain which he may have an opportunity of pouncing upon one of them.  When
he spies an animal, while he is thus sailing over a field, I have observed him
give a slight check to his flight, as if to mark a certain spot with accuracy,
and immediately afterwards alight on the nearest tree.  He would then instantly
face about, look intently on the object that had attracted his attention, soon
after descend towards it with wings almost close to his body, and dart upon it
with such accuracy and rapidity as seldom to fail in securing it.
     When passing over a meadow, a cotton-field, or one planted with sugarcanes,
he performs his flight close over the grass or plants, uttering no cry, but
marking the prey in the manner above described, and on perceiving it, ascending
in a beautiful curved line to the top of the nearest tree, after which he
watches and dives as in the former case.  Should he not observe any object
worthy of his attention, while passing over a meadow or a field, he alights,
shakes his feathers, particularly those of the tail, and, after spending a few
minutes in pluming himself, leaves the perch, uttering his usual cry, and
ascending in the air, performs large and repeated circular flights, carefully
inspecting the field, to assure himself that there is in reality nothing in it
that may be of use to him.  He then proceeds to another plantation.  At other
times, as if not assured that his observations have been duly made, he rises in
circles over the same field to an immense height, where he looks like a white
dot in the heavens.  Yet from this height he must be able to distinguish the
objects on the ground, even when these do not exceed our little partridge or a
young hare in size, and although their colour may be almost the same as that of
surrounding bodies; for of a sudden his circlings are checked, his wings drawn
close to his body, his tail contracted to its smallest breadth, and he is seen
to plunge headlong towards the earth, with a rapidity which produces a loud
rustling sound nearly equal to that of an Eagle on a similar occasion.
     Should he not succeed in discovering the desired object in the fields, he
enters the forest and perches on some detached tree, tall enough to enable him
to see to a great distance around.  His posture is now erect, he remains still
and silent, moving only his head, as on all other occasions, to enable his keen
eye to note the occurrences which may take place in his vicinity.  The lively
squirrel is seen gaily leaping from one branch to another, or busily employed in
searching for the fallen nuts on the ground.  It has found one.  Its bushy tail
is beautifully curved along its back, the end of it falling off with a
semicircular bend; its nimble feet are seen turning the nut quickly round, and
its teeth are already engaged in perforating the hard shell; when, quick as
thought, the Red-tailed Hawk, which has been watching it in all its motions,
falls upon it, seizes it near the head, transfixes and strangles it, devours it
on the spot, or ascends exultingly to a branch with the yet palpitating victim
in his talons, and there feasts at leisure.
     As soon as the little King-bird has raised its brood, and when its courage
is no loner put in requisition for the defence of its young or its mate, the
Red-tailed Hawk visits the farm-houses, to pay his regards to the poultry.  This
is done without much precaution, for, while sailing over the yard where the
chickens, the ducklings, and the young turkeys are, the Hawk plunges upon any
one of them, and sweeps it off to the nearest wood.  When impelled by continued
hunger, he now and then manages to elude the vigilance of the Martins, Swallows
and King-birds, and watching for a good opportunity, falls upon and seizes an
old fowl, the dying screams of which are heard by the farmer at the plough, who
swears vengeance against the robber.  He remembers that he has observed the
Hawk's nest in the woods, and full of anger at the recollection of the
depredations which the plunderer has already committed, and at the anticipation
of its many visits during the winter, leaves his work and his horses, strides to
his house, and with an axe and a rifle in his hands proceeds towards the tree,
where the hopes of the Red-tailed Hawk are snugly nestled among the tall
branches.  The farmer arrives, eyes the gigantic tree, thinks for a moment of
the labour which will be required for felling it, but resolves that he shall not
be overreached by a Hawk.  He throws aside his hat, rolls up his sleeves, and
applies himself to the work.  His brawny arms give such an impulse to the axe,
that at every stroke large chips are seen to fall off on all sides.  The poor
mother-bird, well aware of the result, sails sorrowfully over and around.  She
would fain beg for mercy towards her young.  She alights on the edge of the
nest, and would urge her offspring to take flight.  But the farmer has watched
her motions.  The axe is left sticking in the core of the tree, his rifle is
raised to his shoulder in an instant, and the next moment the whizzing ball has
pierced the heart of the Red-tailed Hawk, which falls unheeded to the earth.
The farmer renews his work, and now changes sides.  A whole hour has been spent
in the application of ceaseless blows.  He begins to look upwards, to judge
which way the giant of the forest will fall, and having ascertained this, he
redoubles his blows.  The huge oak begins to tremble.  Were it permitted to
speak, it might ask why it should suffer for the deeds of another; but it is now
seen slowly to incline, and soon after with an awful rustling produced by all
its broad arms, its branches, twigs and leaves, pa