Cassell's book of birds; vol. 2

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

THE CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD.

The CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD (Pernis cristatus) is found throughout the whole of Hindostan, where it inhabits all woodland districts, from the coast to an altitude of 8,000 feet above the sea. This species, which is very closely allied to the bird above described, subsists, like its European congener, upon young bees, wasps, ants, and caterpillars; only occasionally devouring rats, reptiles, and (as we learn from the natives) young birds and eggs. The eyrie is built upon trees; the eggs are of a light colour, and thickly covered with spots.

THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD.

The ROUGH-LEGGED or WINTER BUZZARD (Archibuteo lagopus) is distinguished from all its congeners by having its tarsi feathered, like those of the Eagle. The beak of this species is small and narrow, very decidedly curved, and furnished with a long hook; the wings, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, extend, when closed, to the end of the long and rounded tail. The plumage is lax, its feathers for the most part large, those upon the head and nape being small, and rounded at the tip; the brow is white, the tips of the wings are dark slate colour, the tail white, its grey tip striped with black; the breast of the male and belly of the female are spotted with blackish brown; the hose are reddish yellow or whitish grey, similarly marked. The coloration of the feathers upon the other parts of the body is a strange mixture of all these different tints. The length of this bird is from twenty-two to twenty-five inches. The female is larger than her mate. The Rough-legged Buzzard is found throughout all the northern countries of the globe, proving itself everywhere to be a very formidable enemy to the Lemming. The eyrie is built upon rocks as well as trees. This bird is sometimes met with in England, where it has been killed once or oftener in almost every county; it has, however, rarely been known to breed here, and is usually obtained in spring or autumn, when changing its latitude from north to south, or vice versâ.

Sir John Richardson, in his "Zoology of North America," tells us "that this species advances east of the Rocky Mountains, as high as the sixty-eighth parallel. It arrives in the fur countries in April or May, and, having reared its young, retires southward early in October. It is by no means an uncommon bird in the districts through which he travelled, but, being very shy, only one specimen was procured. A pair were seen building their nests with sticks on a lofty tree, standing on a low, moist, alluvial point of land. They sailed round the spot in a wide circle, occasionally settling on the top of a tree, but were too wary to allow an approach within gun shot." In the softness and fulness of its plumage, its feathered legs, and habits, this bird bears some resemblance to an Owl. It flies slowly, sits for a long time on the bough of a tree, watching for mice, frogs, &c., and is often seen skimming over swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its prey by the subdued daylight which illuminates even the midnight hours in high latitudes. Wilson observes that in Pennsylvania it is in the habit of coursing over the meadows long after the sun has set. It is fitted for this nocturnal chase by the fleeciness of its feathers, which contributes to render its flight noiseless."

THE COMMON BUZZARD.

The COMMON or MOUSE BUZZARD (Buteo vulgaris) is distinguished by its small, narrow, hooked beak, and bare tarsi; its tail is comparatively short, and its plumage less lax than that of the above-mentioned species, which, in other respects, it closely resembles. Its length is from twenty-two to twenty-five inches, its breadth from fifty to fifty-eight inches; the tail measures about nine inches. The coloration of the plumage varies so much in different individuals as to render a general description almost impossible—indeed, no two birds are alike.

The Mouse Buzzards are met with throughout a large part of Europe and Central Asia, appearing in the southern portions of our continent during the winter, and living solitarily in the vicinity of lofty mountains during the summer months. They are rarely seen in Northern Africa, or in the lower parts of India, but are common in certain districts of the Himalayas. In some of the warm countries of Europe they remain throughout the entire year; in such as are more northern, they arrive about March or April, and leave again in September. When about to migrate, these birds congregate in parties of from twenty to a hundred, and as the flocks usually proceed in the same course when quitting us, without actually assembling in large hosts, they often fly so as to spread their numbers over a square mile of country. At such times their flight is slow, and varied by the performance of many elegant evolutions, sweeping about in circles for half-an-hour at a time; and, as they return northwards, they often linger for whole days upon spots likely to afford them a plentiful supply of food. When about to settle, they generally select such localities as are well covered with trees, and in the vicinity of fields or pasture lands, these situations being rich in such game as they prefer; they are, however, found in large forests, and sometimes ascend to a great height in mountain ranges.