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Show irWSfll TRAIL I ItMaiiaSll cuff &twii The lot of the hawk family has been persecution, a ceaseless, 1 wanton oppression, occasioned by the harmful habits of a few of its members. Because several species of hawks are notorious enemies of domestic fowl and game birds, the remainder of the group, beneficial though they are, have been branded destructive birds and have become be-come targets for every person who roams the fields with a .22 under his arm. I Being birds of prey is no asset to the hawk family, for the title itself calls to mind a group of vicious, blood-thirsty birds that prey on weaker species and kill for the love of killing. Actually, I a bird of prey is a hunter and nothing more. He seeks his food by stalking it and diving in for the kill much the same as a man might stalk a deer, downing it when the chance for a good clean shot presents itself. But because they are birds of prey, and hunt for their food, all members mem-bers of the hawk family have been erroneously classified as pests, slaughtered relentlessly, and their bodies strung out I along fences as silent evidence 1 of an extermination campaign to rid the country of thieving killers. kill-ers. Of the several classes of hawks that inhabit the western United States only four are harmful. Food habits studies of these four definitely label them as enemies of game and domestic birds, whose bold, violent habits of invading chicken yards or drop-pint; drop-pint; onto a frightened grouse with outstretched talons has brought condemnation down upon up-on all members of the family. These four are the Duck Hawk, the Sharpshinned Hawk, Coop-iexs Coop-iexs Hawk and the Goshawk, all belonging to the group of Acci- peters or short winged hawks. As the name would indicate they are easily recognized by their short rounded wings, and streamlined stream-lined bodies, terminating in a long tail. They are built fo.r speed, and sudden powerful dives. The general color of this group is a blue grey or dark bluish slate. The Accipiters haunt the woodlands wood-lands and seldom soar high in the air. Several short rapid wine beats fnllnwpd hv n sail is the typical flight of this band of killers. If a chicken pen is invaded or a mother quail snatched from her brood by a short winged, slender bodied bird of a bluish grey or slate color, mark it down as either a Duck Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Coopers Hawk or a Goshaw wanton killers, all, responsible for the black name coupled to the rest of the hawk family. To the credit of the hawks and fortunately for poultry raisers and conservationists, ten of the family have, shown themcelves to be beneficial regardless of the stigma attached to them. Chief among this group, known as the Buteos, are the Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Bellied Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, American Rough-Legged Hawk, and the Ferruginous Rough-Leg. Where short, rounded wings, streamlined bodies and long, I slender tails distinguish the1 harmful Accipiters. the But are big, with broad win ' broad, rounded tails In flK 1 jne. hawks habitual high m the air in wide circk 17 In contrast to the slate or fi !t Rey f the "Sicken hawkv il the Buteos range from a dffi rust color to a deep brown T t kill a Red-Tailed Hawk ;N Swainson's Hawk, or a RoueK Leg is to eliminate a memhf- of a beneficial group. For 1 big fellows birds of Zi choose as their game, ground squirrels and snake ft Seldom do they bother ga birds or poultry. eaTn A But the Buteos along with tb 't Accipiters have been brand? i "ornery cusses," and so long (j no attempt is made to diltir guish between the two, the slo easy going, friend to man Bu' teos must face the same neri' cution meted out to their 11 gressive and thoroughly danger ous brothers, the Accipiters X |