Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5)

by John James Audubon

Hen-harrier, or Marsh Hawk, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 109.

Adult Male. Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 1.

Bill short, compressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line a little tumid at the base, sloping to beyond the cere, then decurved in the fourth of a circle, the sides sloping, towards the end a little convex, the edge with a festoon a little anterior to the nostril, the tip acute, concave beneath. Lower mandible with the angle broad, the dorsal line ascending and convex, the edges a little inflected, the tip rounded, with the edges decurved. Nostrils large, ovato-oblong, in the middle and fore part of the cere, and having an oblique ridge from the upper edge.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck short; body slender, much compressed behind. Legs long and slender; tibia long but muscular; tarsi long, compressed, with seventeen or eighteen large oblique scutella on the fore and outer side, oval or subhexagonal scales on the sides, and scutella behind, excepting at the upper and lower parts; toes small, slender, the outer with a short web at the base, connecting it with the third; first considerably shorter than second, fourth a little longer than the latter, third much longer; all covered above with scutella, unless at the base, where there are small scales, beneath tuberculate and papillate, there being a long fleshy tubercle on the last joint of each toe, and one on the next joint of the two outer. Claws long, compressed, rounded above, flat beneath, curved into the fourth of a circle, those of the first and second toes largest, that of the third with a slight internal edge, of the fourth much smaller and less curved.

Plumage very soft, generally blended. Cere covered on the sides with rather long bristle-tipped feathers, which curve upwards and partially conceal the nostrils; space between the bill and eye with radiating feathers of the same nature. A distinct ruff of narrow feathers, which are decurved, but with the tips recurved, extends from behind the eye on each side to the chin. Wings long, much rounded; the fourth quill longest, the third two-twelfths of an inch shorter, the second a quarter of an inch shorter than the fifth, the first and seventh about equal. The outer webs of the first five are attenuated towards the end; and the outer four have their inner webs sinuate; the secondaries are broad and rounded. Tail straight, long, of moderate breadth, and slightly rounded, the middle feathers longest (in perfect specimens, but often worn). The quills and tail-feathers are extremely soft, being covered with a velvety down.

Bill bluish-black, cere yellow; inside of mouth dark bluish-grey. Iris yellow. Tarsi and toes yellow, tinged with orange; claws black. The general colour of the plumage above is light greyish-blue, the head and scapulars of a deeper tint, the hind part of the back paler; the bases of the occipital and ruff feathers white; the bristles of the cere and lores black, their downy bases white. The fore neck and anterior part of the breast are also greyish-blue; the middle of the breast and the sides white, tinged with blue, the feathers having their shafts dusky, and some very faint indications of bars; those of the legs, the lower wing-coverts, and lower and upper tail-coverts, pure white. The seven outer primaries are black, tipped with pale brown at the base white, and on the outer edge tinged with grey; the rest and the secondaries of the general colour, but with more or less brown towards the end, their inner webs white, and obscurely barred with dark grey. The two middle tail-feathers are of a lighter tint than the back, and the colour on the outer webs of the rest gradually fades into white; the inner webs of all but the two middle more or less white, with eight irregular narrow bars of darkish grey.

Length to end of tail 19 3/4 inches, to end of wings 16 1/2, to end of claws 16 1/2; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 14 4/12; tail 8 9/12; bill along the ridge 1 2/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1 2/12; tarsus 2 8/12; hind toe 7 1/2/12, its claw 10/12; middle toe 1 2 1/2/12, its claw 8 1/2/12. Weight 16 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCCLVI. Fig. 2.

The female is larger than the male, and differs extremely in the colours of the plumage, although those of the bare parts are the same. The general colour of the upper parts is umber-brown, of the lower light yellowish-red. The upper part of the head is deep brown, the feathers edged with light yellowish-red; the anterior part of the forehead, a band over the eye, and the loral space, pale greyish-yellow, the bristle-tips of the latter black. The cheek feathers are dull brown, slightly edged with yellowish-red; the ruff feathers light yellowish-red, with a narrow brown central band. The upper hind part, sides, and fore part of the neck, the breast and sides, are light reddish-yellow, each feather with an oblong-lanceolate umber-brown mark. Some of the hypochondrial feathers have four light spots; the central part of the outer tibial feathers is light brownish-red; the feathers of the middle of the breast, the abdomen, and the lower tail-coverts, are of a uniform light yellowish-red. On some of the scapulars, as well as many of the wing-coverts, are one or two round light red or whitish spots; and the bases of the occipital feathers are white. The primary and secondary quills are of the same colour as the back, slightly edged with paler, the greater part of the inner webs whitish, the primaries with broad bands of deeper brown. Upper tail-coverts white. Tail light greyish-brown, white at the base, with six broad bands of deep brown on the middle feathers, four on the lateral, the last band much larger, the tips brownish or reddish white, the inner webs, excepting the two middle feathers, reddish-grey or whitish, the shafts light brown. Lower wing-coverts reddish-white, with central lanceolate brown markings: lower surface of primary quills greyish-white, with very conspicuous broad blackish-brown bands; tail reddish-grey beneath, with the dark bands more distinct.

Length to end of tail 20 1/2 inches, to end of wings 18 3/4, to end of claws 15 3/4: extent of wings 46 3/8: wing from flexure 15 1/4: tail 9 10/12; bill along the ridge 1 3/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1 2/12; tarsus 3 2/12; hind toe 10/12, its claw 1 2/12; middle toe 1 1/2, its claw 10/12.