File:The birds of America - from drawings made in the United States and their territories (1840) (14562222488).jpg

Identifier: birdsofamericafr01audu (find matches)
Title: The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories
Year: 1840 (1840s)
Authors: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 Bowen, John T., ca. 1801-1856?, lithographer
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Published by J.J. Audubon Philadelphia : J.B. Chevalier
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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one at the base, the other terminal. Length to end of tail 24 inches; bill along the ridge 1-J-f; cere ^; wingfrom flexure \5\; tail \0\; tarsus 3/^; hind toe ljS, its claw l^g;; second toelj;, its claw lj;; third toe 2, its claw \l; fourth toe 1T52, its claw yj. COMMON BUZZARD. Buteo vulgaris, JVilloughby. PLATE VI.—Female. The specimen from which the figure before you was taken, was shot byMr. Townsend on a rock near the Columbia River, on which it had its nest.Unfortunately, however, he has not supplied me with any account of thisspecies, and the only notice respecting its habits that I have seen, is that inthe Fauna Boreali-Americana, by Dr. Richardson:—The Common Buz-zard arriving in the Fur Countries in the middle of April very soon after-wards begins to build its nest; and, having reared its young, departs aboutthe end of September. It haunts the low alluvial points of land which stretchout under the high banks of a river; and may be observed sitting for a long T5J°2 pi. e
Text Appearing After Image:
< /, t /// /ru1// &«*~J. • Drawn from Nature bv J I .Audubon. F.B COMMON BUZZARD. 31 time motionless on the bough of a tree, watching patiently for some smallquadruped, bird, or reptile to pass within its reach. As soon as it espies itsprey, it glides silently into the air, and, sweeping easily and rapidly down,seizes it in its claws. When disturbed, it makes a short circuit, and soonsettles on another perch. It builds its nest on a tree, of short sticks, liningit sparingly with deers hair. The eggs, from three to five in number, areequal in size to those of the domestic fowl, and have a greenish-white colour,with a few large dark brown blotches at the thick end. It was seen by theExpedition as far north as the fifty-seventh parallel of latitude, and it mostprobably has a still higher range. Bcteo vulgaris, Common Buzzard, Rich. & Sw. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 47.Common Buzzard, Falco buteo, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 108. Female. Bill short, strong, as broad as deep

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