Show black sheep hawk Is general troublemaker trouble maker A few black sheep species of hawks are arc to blame for the bad reputation of the whole family most hawks are moderate in their appetites beneficial to farmers and models of upright avian behavior in their other activities according to a monograph on north american birds of prey by arthur cleveland bent issued by the smithsonian institution ution A few hawks appear to be unmitigated scoundrels who kill wantonly almost almast for sport others only kill to eat some som e such as the marsh hawk seem to delight in cruelty for its own sake and will play with a victim much as a cat plays with a mouse thus one case was reported where a marsh hawk was observed to drop a horned homed lark which it had captured seven or eight times and each time pounce on it again this particular bird is very pugnacious and does not hesitate to attack a man who ventures close to its nest 1 I have had them dash at my head repeatedly says bent and keep it up as long as I 1 was anywhere near the nest one case is noted where such a hawk attacked a man a mile away the bird is an intolerant aggressive and pugnacious defender of its home territory as everyone knows who has ever attempted to invade its precincts one of the good hawks is the common red shouldered hawk of the eastern united states and southern canada among all the birds of prey bent says it is the great home lover pairs presumably are mated for life one such couple will appropriate a certain territory such as a small woodland fight off zealously any trespassers and build their nests there every spring for nearly half a century |