Audubon's Birds/BIRDSVER1_3.BIN/dp/0001/00015.txt

Text File | 1992-08-27 | 9KB | 161 lines

$Unique_ID{BRD00015}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{The Broad-winged Buzzard}
$Subject{Falconinae; Buteo; pennsylvanicus; platypterus; Broad-winged Buzzard;
Broad-winged Hawk}
$Journal{Birds of America:  Volume I}
$Volume{Vol. 1:43-46}
$Family{Falconinae}
$Genus{Buteo}
$Species{pennsylvanicus; platypterus}
$Common_Name{Broad-winged Buzzard; Broad-winged Hawk}
$Log{
Plate X*00015p1.scf
Family*00006.txt
Genus*00009.txt
}

       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 BROAD-WINGED BUZZARD.
                              [Broad-winged Hawk.]


                          BUTEO PENNSYLVANICUS, Wils.
                              [Buteo platypterus.]


                           PLATE X.--MALE AND FEMALE.


     One fine May morning, when nature seemed to be enchanted at the sight of
her own great works, when the pearly dew-drops were yet hanging at the point of
each leaf, or lay nursed in the blossoms, gently rocked, as it were, by the soft
breeze of early summer, I took my gun, and, accompanied by my excellent
brother-in-law, WILLIAM G. BAKEWELL, Esq., at that time a youth, walked towards
some lovely groves, where many songsters attracted our attention by their joyous
melodies.  The woods were all alive with the richest variety, and, divided in
choice, we kept going on without shooting at any thing, so great was our
admiration of every bird that presented itself to our view.  As we crossed a
narrow skirt of wood, my young companion spied a nest on a tree of moderate
height, and, as my eye reached it, we both perceived that the parent bird was
sitting in it.  Some little consultation took place, as neither of us could
determine whether it was a Crow's or a Hawk's nest, and it was resolved that my
young friend should climb the tree, and bring down one of the eggs.  On reaching
the nest, he said the bird, which still remained quiet, was a Hawk and unable to
fly.  I desired him to cover it with his handkerchief, try to secure it, and
bring it down, together with the eggs.  All this was accomplished without the
least difficulty.  I looked at it with indescribable pleasure, as I saw it was
new to me, and then felt vexed that it was not of a more spirited nature, as it
had neither defended its eggs nor itself.  It lay quietly in the handkerchief,
and I carried it home to my father-in-law's, shewed it to the family, and went
to my room, where I instantly began drawing it.  The drawing which I then made
is at this moment before me, and is dated "Fatland Ford, Pennsylvania, May 27,
1812."
     I put the bird on a stick made fast to my table.  It merely moved its feet
to grasp the stick, and stood erect, but raised its feathers, and drew in its
neck on its shoulders.  I passed my hand over it, to smooth the feathers by
gentle pressure.  It moved not.  The plumage remained as I wished it.  Its eye,
directed towards mine, appeared truly sorrowful.  I measured the length of its
bill with the compass, began my outlines, continued measuring part after part as
I went on, and finished the drawing, without the bird ever moving once.  My wife
sat at my side, reading to me at intervals, but our conversation had frequent
reference to the singularity of the incident.  The drawing being finished, I
raised the window, laid hold of the poor bird, and launched it into the air,
where it sailed off until out of my sight, without uttering a single cry, or
deviating from its course.  The drawing from which the Plate is taken, was
subsequently made, as I had to wait until I should procure a male, to render it
complete.
     The Broad-winged Hawk is seldom seen in Louisiana, and I believe never
except during the severe winters that occasionally occur in our Middle and
Eastern Districts.  I have observed that its usual range seldom extends far west
of the Alleghany Mountains; but in Virginia, Maryland, and all the States to the
eastward of these, it is by no means a rare species.  I have shot sereral in the
Jerseys, the State of New York, near the Falls of Niagara, and also in the Great
Pine Forest.
     Its flight, which is easy and light, is performed in circles.  When
elevated in the air, it is fond of partially closing its wings for a moment, and
thus gliding to a short distance, as if for amusement.  It seldom chases other
birds of prey, but is itself frequently teased by the Little Sparrow-hawk, the
King-bird, or the Martin.  It generally attacks birds of weak nature,
particularly very young chickens and ducklings, and during winter feeds on
insects, and other small animals.  It flies singly, unless during the breeding
season, and after feeding retires to the top of some small tree, within the
woods, where it rests for hours together.  It is easily approached.  When
wounded by a shot so as to be unable to fly, it, like most birds of its tribe,
throws itself on its back, opens its bill, protrudes its tongue, utters a
hissing sound, erects the top-feathers of its head, and defends itself by
reiterated attempts to lay hold with its talons.  If a stick is presented to it
in this state, it will clench it at once, and allow itself to be carried hanging
to it for some distance, indeed until the muscles become paralyzed, when it
drops, and again employs the same means of defence.
     When feeding, it generally holds its prey with both feet, and tears and
swallows the parts without much plucking.  I must here remark, that birds of
prey never cover their victims by extending the wings over them, unless when
about to be attacked by other birds or animals, that evince a desire to share
with them or carry off the fruit of their exertions.  In the stomach of this
bird I have found wood-frogs, portions of small snakes, together with feathers,
and the hair of several small species of quadrupeds.  I do not think it ever
secures birds on the wing, at least I never saw it do so.
     The nest, which is about the size of that of the Common Crow, is usually
placed on pretty large branches, and near the stem or trunk of the tree.  It is
composed externally of dry sticks and briars, internally of numerous small
roots, and is lined with the large feathers of the Common Fowl and other birds.
The eggs are four or five, of a dull greyish-white, blotched with dark brown.
They are deposited as early as the beginning of March, in low places, but not
until a fortnight later in the mountainous parts of the districts in which the
bird more frequently breeds.


     BROAD-WINGED HAWK, Falco Pennsylvanicus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vi. p. 92.
     FALCO PENNSYLVANICUS, Bonap. Syn., p. 29.
     BROAD-WINGED HAWK, Falco Pennsylvanicus, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 105.
     BROAD-WiNGED HAWK, Falco Pennsylvanicus, Aud. Orn. Biog. vol. i. p. 461;
       vol. v. p. 377.


     Adult Male.
     Bill shortish, as broad as long, the sides convex, the dorsal outline
convex from the base; upper mandible with the edges slightly inflected, waved
with a broad rounded lobe, the tip trigonal, descending obliquely, acute; lower
mandible inflected at the edges, rounded at the tip.  Nostrils oval, oblique.
Head rather large, flattened above.  Neck shortish.  Body ovate, broad
anteriorly.  Wings rather long.  Legs longish, rather robust, roundish; tarsi
covered before and behind with scutella; toes covered above with scutella,
scabrous and tuberculate beneath; middle toe much the longest, outer connected
at the base by a membrane, and shorter than the inner; claws long, curved,
roundish, very acute.
     Plumage ordinary, compact.  Feathers of the head narrow, of the back broad
and rounded, of the neck oblong.  Space between the bill and eye covered with
bristly feathers.  Wing very broad, the primary quills broad, slightly narrowed
toward the end, rounded, the fourth