DUCK HAWK
356a. Falco peregrinus anatum. 17 in.
Black moustache mark, or patch on each side of the throat. Adults white below, tinged with buffy on the breast and sides, and lightly barred with black; above bluish slate, darkest on the crown. Some adults are darker, and much more heavily barred than others. Young, brownish black with rusty edges to the feathers; below, buffy, heavily streaked with blackish. This is one of the handsomest and most dashing of the raptores, and is very similar to the one formerly most used for the chase in England. They are swift and fearless in pursuit of their prey, and the fastest flying ducks as well as the slower herons fall easy victims to their valor. Their feet are exceptionally large, and they are often, on this account, known as Great-footed Hawks.
Nest.—Eggs laid upon bare ledges or soil, with very little, if any, nest. Bright buff, marked with rich rusty brown (2.05 × 1.55).
Range.—Breeds in Northern United States and Canada, most abundant west of the Miss.
