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Wilson, Alexander, 1766-1813. / American ornithology; or The natural history of the birds of the United States
(1828)
Species 10. Falco pennsylvanicus. Broad-winged hawk, pp. [92]-94
Page 93
BROAD-WINGED HAWK. but it was attacked and driven away by a King-bird before I could effect my purpose, and I have never since been fortunate enough to meet with another. On dissecting the one which I had shot, it proved to be a male. In size this Hawk agrees, nearly, with the Buzzardet, (Fal- co albidus) of Turton, described also by Pennant; (Arct. Zool. N. 109.) but either the descriptions of these authors are very inaccurate, the change of colour which that bird undergoes very great, or the present is altogether a different species. Until, however, some other specimens of this Hawk come under my observation, I can only add to the figure here given, and which is a good likeness of the original, the following particulars of its size and plumage. Length fourteen inches, extent thirty-three inches; bill black, blue near the base, slightly toothed; cere and corners of the mouth yellow; irides bright amber; frontlet and lores white; from the mouth backwards runs a streak of blackish brown; upper parts dark brown, the plumage tipt, and the head streak- ed, with whitish; almost all the feathers above are spotted or barred with white; but this is not seen unless they be separated by the hand; head large, broad and flat; cere very broad, the nostril also large; tail short, the exterior and interior feathers somewhat the shortest, the others rather longer, of a full black, and crossed with two bars of white, tipt also slightly with whitish; tail-coverts spotted with white; wings dusky brown, indistinctly barred with black; greater part of the inner vanes snowy; lesser coverts, and upper part of the back, tipt and streaked with bright ferruginous; the bars of black are very dis- tinct on the lower side of the wing; lining of the wing brown- ish white, beautifully marked with small arrow-heads of brown; chin white, surrounded by streaks of black; breast and sides elegantly spotted with large arrow-heads of brown, centred with pale brown; belly and vent, like the breast, white, but more thinly marked with pointed spots of brown; femorals brownish white, thickly marked with small touches of brown and white; vent white; legs very stout; feet coarsely scaled, 93
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