Identifier: birdlifeguidetos00chapman (find matches)
Title: Bird-life; a guide to the study of our common birds
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Chapman, Frank M. (Frank Michler), 1864-1945 Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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s flnished. The young are fed on softenedfood regurgitated from the parents crop. BIRDS OF PREY. (ORDER RAPTORES.) American Vultures. (Family Cathartid^.) There are but eight Vultures in the western hemi-sphere, and only two of these, the Black and the TurkeyVulture, are found in the eastern United States. Theformer is not often seen north of NorthTurkey Vulture, q^^^ ;,^,t the Turkey Vulture, or tat hart es aitra. ... Turkey Buzzard, as it is more frequent-ly called, comes each summer as far as Princeton, N. J.,and occasionally strays farther north. The Turkey Buzzard is one of Natures scavengers,and, as such, is one of the few l>irds whose services tomankind are thoroughly appreciated. There are othersof equal or even greater value who daily earn theirright to the good will which we stupidly and persistentlyrefuse to grant them ; but of the Turkey Ihizzards assist-ance we have frequent convincing proof, and the decree hasgone forth that injury to this bird is punishable by fi.ne.
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V Plate XUI. MOURNING IHIVE. Length, 11 75 inches. Upper parts olive grayish brown, sides and back ofneck iridescent ; breast with a pinkish tinge, belly buff; outer tail-featherstipped with white. 115 tic, RED-SnOULDERED HAWK. )^o other birds are so well protected ; and as a resultTurkey Buzzards and Black Vultures walk about the streetsof some of our Southern cities with the tameness of domes-tic fowls. If we should similarly encourage our insectivo-rous birds, who can predict the benefits which might accrue ? Hawks, Falcons, and Eagles. (Family Falconid.^.) To this family belong the diurnal birds of prey,which number some three hundred and fifty species, andare distributed throughout the world. They are birdsof strong flight, and capture their prey on the wing bystriking it with their sharp, curved claws, the most dead-ly weapons to be found in any birds armament. Thebill is short, stout, and hooked, and is used to tear theprey while it is held by the feet. The voices of Hawks are

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